Heavy Police Presence Near GA Capitol Ahead Of Potential Protests

ATLANTA, GA — A heavy police presence can be seen around the Georgia Capitol Building on Sunday ahead of potential demonstrations.

On Sunday morning, the Hapeville Police Department tweeted about how the Capitol will have limited access until after the inauguration on Wednesday. 

After the FBI sent a memo last week warning authorities in all 50 states of armed protests ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, Georgia officials have ramped up security at the Gold Dome as a safeguard.

And GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan told CNN Georgia is "less safe" right now because of the words and rhetoric of President Donald Trump leading up to the riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Trump's repeated attempts to overturn the presidential election results in Georgia have fanned the heated political climate, Duncan told CNN.

Photos from traffic cams surrounding the Capitol Building show police cars, National Guard vehicles and barricades.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp extended an executive order last week authorizing him to deploy the Georgia National Guard beginning Jan. 11. Kemp said Tuesday he is taking a no-nonsense approach to defending the state Capitol in Atlanta should armed protests occur, but did not give specific details of how Georgia is preparing to avoid tipping off anyone monitoring state measures.

However, some additional security measures can be seen in downtown Atlanta. In addition to the 8-foot-tall, spiked metal bar fence surrounding the state Capitol building — which was constructed last year following racial injustice protests and riots in the city — barricades have been put up around Atlanta City Hall, according to Fox 5 Atlanta photojournalist Thomas Bradley.

The Capitol Police, Georgia National Guard and the Georgia State Patrol have also beefed up security at the Capitol — so much so that Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, among others, has been escorted into the Gold Dome by armed SWAT members.

"We started our General Assembly session on Monday, and here I was getting out of the vehicle on Monday with armed SWAT members with full body armor," Duncan, a Republican, told CNN Friday. "Looking out my office window yesterday, it dawned on me that the gentlemen standing there in the rain was there not because of a terrorist, but because potentially a Republican could want to attack our Capitol or myself … I can't fathom that."

Kemp tweeted Saturday night that he met with Georgia National Guard members before they left for the U.S. Capitol.

Related: GA Capitol Security Tightened Ahead Of Possible Armed Protests