Crime & Safety

NY Braces For Biden Inauguration After U.S. Capitol Attack

The state's capital is boosting security while New York City so far hasn't seen any "tangible" threats, officials said.

Concertina razor wire tops the 8-foot 'non-scalable' fence that surrounds the U.S. Capitol the day after the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump for the second time on Jan. 14.
Concertina razor wire tops the 8-foot 'non-scalable' fence that surrounds the U.S. Capitol the day after the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump for the second time on Jan. 14. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

NEW YORK CITY — A wave of potential nationwide unrest and violence swirling around President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration prompted state authorities to boost security around New York's capital, reports and authorities said.

New York State Police soon plan to brief the public on security plans for protests in the days ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration. The State Capitol is already closed and authorities have barricaded and closed streets in Albany, according to a recent Politico report.

New York City, meanwhile, so far appears to poised to avoid potential violence like that seen at the U.S. Capitol last week, when pro-Trump mobs swarmed the building in what amounted to an insurrection.

Find out what's happening in New York Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

"There are no specific and tangible threats against New York City," Mayor Bill de Blasio said. "If anything emerges of any substantial nature, I'm going to make sure we announce it. Our focus right now is on the problems elsewhere."

The U.S. Capitol and state capitals across the country have been warned over protests and threats over Biden's inauguration.

Find out what's happening in New York Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

President Donald Trump and many of his rabid supporters have falsely claimed Biden's election is fraudulent. Trump this week became the first president to be impeached twice after his speech — which was laden with false claims of a stolen election — egged a mob into storming the Capitol.

"Incitement of insurrection" was the impeachment charge — and law enforcement officials worry an insurrectionist movement will spur more violence.

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