All state employees should work remotely on Inauguration Day due to the “level of tension in the country,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy ordered Friday.
New Jersey State Police Superintendent Col. Pat Callahan said there has been “significant communication” with federal, state and local officials in preparation for the Jan. 20 event.
“At this time, no specific or credible threat, but we are postured and prepared to respond with all of those partners should that need arise,” Callahan said at a news conference Friday.
DC DESIGNATES TWO AREAS FOR INAUGURATION DAY PROTESTS AMID HEIGHTENED SECURITY
Murphy also said that there is just a “general threat” right now.
The FBI is warning of armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington, D.C., around Inauguration Day, which will come exactly two weeks after the U.S. Capitol riot that left five people dead.
Explosive devices pose a “substantial threat” at upcoming protests, according to ABC News.
“The danger posed to law enforcement officers and the general public from the all the [sic] tactics listed is substantial,” an FBI bulletin obtained by ABC News reads. “If a suspicious item is reasonably believed to contain explosives, an IED, or other hazardous material, DO NOT touch, tamper with, or move the item. Only bomb disposal personnel should handle any suspected devices that are located.”
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Some 20,000 National Guard troops will be deployed in the nation’s capital and public access to the inauguration will be notably scaled back.
President-elect Joe Biden, meanwhile, told reporters Monday that he is “not afraid of taking the oath outside” the U.S. Capitol building.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.