No Specific Inauguration Riot Threats In New Hampshire

CONCORD, NH — Concerns and fears this week raised about supporters of President Donald Trump, rightwing groups, or others causing riots and violence in America's capital cities and statehouses this week have been dialed back by officials, at least for New England, but law enforcement organizations are still prepared for the worst.

Days before the second impeachment of the president, the FBI issued a nationwide statement warning of possible insurrection uprisings all across the country. However, Joseph Bonavolonta, a special agent in charge of the FBI Boston Division said Thursday that the department had no credible information about potential attacks in New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, or Rhode Island.

"As of right now, we are not in receipt of any substantiated or credible information with respect to violence associated around any of our four state capitols or any other federal buildings," he said. "However, as we all know, intelligence can change by the second, and if and when it were to, we are fully synced up with our partners to not only disseminate that information to try to mitigate any potential threat, but also provide any number of a wide array of resources and assets that we have at our disposal through our joint terrorism task forces."

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The FBI has command posts set up with task forces and is working with officials in all four states to be prepared for anything that may happen. Bonavolonta said the department has received more than "100,000 digital media tips that we have received and are analyzing" and anyone from the public who may have info should report it to FBItips.gov.

On Tuesday, the New Hampshire Department of Safety said it was monitoring for credible threats and was prepared for any emergency. Protesters, Robert L. Quinn, the commissioner of the department, were free to demonstrate if they comply with state laws.

Two days later, Gov. Chris Sununu activated the New Hampshire National Guard to assist in Washington, DC, for the inauguration.

The safety department has not issued any follow-up statements and, according to a strategic communications administrator for the department, no new updates were expected this weekend.

Protests at the Statehouse in Concord are a regular occurrence, from all walks of political life and positions. The most recent was held on Jan. 7, the day after the Capitol building riot, by demonstrators protesting Sununu's private inauguration.

There are no known organized 2020 election result protests planned in Concord at post time.

According to the U.S. Justice Department, only one Granite Stater has been charged for participating in the Capitol building riot.

Thomas Gallagher of Bridgewater was charged on Jan. 7 with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; or knowingly, with intent to impede government business or official functions, engaging in disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

While most of the accused rioters at the Capitol were primarily Trump supporters, at least one was from a left-wing organization, posing as a supporter of the president.

John Sullivan, the founder of Insurgence USA and a Black Lives Matter and Antifa activist was arrested Thursday and charged by complaint with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and one count of interfering with law enforcement engaged in the lawful performance of their official duties incident to and during the commission of civil disorder. Sullivan and Jade Sacker, a photojournalist who has previously worked with CNN and NPR, recorded footage at the Capitol and were questioned by the FBI. They were also featured on Anderson Cooper 360 after the riots. Some of their footage captured the shooting death of Ashli Babbitt, the Air Force veteran killed during the rioting by a Capitol police officer. On the video, Sacker can be heard cheering after the rioting started. An "excessive force" investigation is underway in the case. The gruesome footage has since been removed from YouTube.com.

Inauguration Day is Wednesday, Jan. 20.

Jenna Fisher of Patch in Massachusetts contributed to this report.

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