'Armed Marches' Threatened In PA Before Inauguration

PENNSYLVANIA — In the wake of the riots at the U.S. Capitol last week, security groups are warning about continued threats from far-right extremists nationwide, including in Pennsylvania.

Flyers calling for an "armed march on all state capitols" in the closing days of Donald Trump's presidency have been circulating the internet for days, alarming researchers and security analysts tracking online threats on several social media platforms.

State police say that planning is ongoing. They're working alongside Pennsylvania Capitol Police to provide resources "in the event of any unrest," a spokesperson said Monday, and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency is also assisting.

"We are confident that PSP has the resources in place to protect Pennsylvanians against threats and to work with all levels of law enforcement to keep the Commonwealth safe," Pennsylvania State Police Cpl. Brent Miller said in an emailed statement to Patch.

The violence in D.C. brought criticism against security plans for the event by officials, who some say were woefully unprepared. The FBI warned state officials about these potential threats to state capitols in a memo circulated on Dec. 29, before the Capitol attack occurred, according to a Yahoo News report Monday.

RELATED: State Capitols Step Up Security Amid New Safety Concerns

Much of the unrest is planned in the lead-up to the Jan. 20 inauguration of Joe Biden. The marches on state capitols are called for on Sunday, Jan. 17, the final Sunday of the Trump presidency.

While Democrats and Republicans alike have criticized Trump for inciting the Capitol riots, the president issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon urging no violence in the coming days.

"In light of reports of more demonstrations, I urge that there must be NO violence, NO lawbreaking and NO vandalism of any kind," the statement reads. "That is not what I stand for, and it is not what America stands for. I call on ALL Americans to help ease tensions and calm tempers. Thank You."

Miller said that officials have a 24/7 organizing hub, the Pennsylvania Criminal Intelligence Center in Harrisburg, that is serving as a collaborative point for federal, state and local law enforcement. Trained analysts are working there to keep state police up to date with intelligence and investigative information.

The online flyers have found a home on pro-Trump forums such as Parler and The Donald, which researchers with the SITE Intelligence group said openly organized the violence in Washington, D.C., and interpreted Trump's statements as orders. Parler's website was offline Monday after Amazon removed it from its web hosting service, and Apple and Google removed it from their app stores. Parler has filed a lawsuit in response.

"When democracy is destroyed, refuse to be silenced," one advertisement reads. "Come armed at your personal discretion."

SITE published a report Sunday that indicated further violence was threatened. "No matter how all this plays out, it's only the beginning," the report quotes one Parler user.

While other platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have moved to ban or temporarily close Trump's accounts and others that they say are fomenting insurrection and violence, the flyers have continued to be widely disbursed on those sites, too.

Other unrest is planned in D.C. on Jan. 20, the day of the inauguration, and is called alternatively a "Million Militia March" or a "Million Martyr March."

"We will come in numbers that no standing army or police agency can match," one Parler post read. "However, the police are NOT Our enemy, unless they choose to be!"

As threats continue online, House Democrats moved Monday to introduce an article of impeachment against Trump for what they described as his incitement of the violence last week. Democrats have been joined by some Republicans in calling for Trump's removal or resignation, including Pennsylvania's U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey.