Police admit no known threats or armed protests planned for Vermont Statehouse

Steve Bellows

NO ARMED PROTEST PLANNED FOR VERMONT: Despite nationwide media buzz triggered by an FBI memo claiming armed protests are planned for state capitals across the U.S., local police authorities in Vermont say they know of no plan for an armed gathering in Montpelier.

The FBI has caused nationwide alarm that armed protests are planned for 50 statehouses leading up to the inauguration of Joe Biden, but law enforcement officials in Vermont say they know of no specific threat or plans for armed protests in Montpelier.

“Right now we don’t have any information of direct threats to the State House or the Capitol complex,” Montpelier Police Chief Brian Peete told True North in a phone interview Tuesday.

He said the buildup in security, along with numerous public warnings, are precautions.

city of Montpelier

Montpelier Police Chief Brian Peete

“It’s an abundance of caution and related to information law enforcement has at this time,” Peete said.

When asked if that information would be made available to the public, he said he could not comment. He added that in addition to seeking the safety of the public for the upcoming inauguration, local law enforcement members aim to “observe people’s rights for assembly and speech.”

In comments to TNR, Washington County Sheriff W. Samuel Hill said Wednesday that he, too, lacked information about any planned armed protest.

“Here in Vermont, unlike in some other areas, we have no specific threats, other than there’s going to be a protest and maybe a counter-protest at the Capitol on the 17th,” he said. “We really have no ideas of the numbers. The numbers from the protest last week in front of the Statehouse [were] approximately 45 to 50 people.”

The FBI’s expectation of nationwide armed protests at state capitol buildings was first reported by ABC News on Monday, Jan. 11. “Starting this week and running through at least Inauguration Day, armed protests are being planned at all 50 state capitols and at the U.S. Capitol, according to an internal FBI bulletin obtained by ABC News,” the news network reported.

However, three days earlier, Twitter claimed knowledge of planned protests at state capitol buildings. In a Jan. 8 announcement explaining Twitter’s decision to ban the President of the United States from the social media platform, the company claimed “plans for future armed protests have already begun proliferating on and off-Twitter, including a proposed secondary attack on the US Capitol and state capitol buildings on January 17, 2021.”

Flyer announcing armed protest at state capitol buildings

A red flyer circulating across social media announces such a nationwide “armed march” event, but no specific group is mentioned as the organizer.

Hill said while there’s no specific plans within Vermont for armed protest, it’s important to be prepared.

“We’re just preparing based on the national reports, just to be on the safe side at this point,” he said.

Hill added that police also want to preserve First Amendment rights of free speech for peaceful protesters.

“We’re always trying to make sure that everybody gets to voice their First Amendment right with nobody getting hurt or without any problems,” he said.

Despite claims that the vandals who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan.6 were only Trump supporters, recent reports about individuals who breached the Capitol Building have discovered known Antifa members disguised as Trump supporters, a Black Lives Matter activist from Utah, a horned activist who participates in climate change strikes and marches, and a 34-year-old son of a Brooklyn Supreme Court judge, who, the New York Daily News reported, is “a registered Democrat, according to public records.”

Democrat leaders of the U.S. House seized upon the Capitol riots to successfully impeach the president on Wednesday. However, they gained the support of only 10 Republican House members.

There may be a large disconnect between Republicans in Washington, D.C., and those in Vermont. While a tiny minority of Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump, a majority of Republicans in the Vermont House last week voted for a resolution urging his impeachment.

Leaders of the Vermont GOP, including party chair Deb Billado, are facing pressure from fellow Republicans to jump on the impeachment bandwagon.

The president repeatedly has urged peaceful demonstrations and gave no instruction for anyone to enter inside the U.S. Capitol.

Michael Bielawski is a reporter for True North. Send him news tips at bielawski82@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @TrueNorthMikeB.

Images courtesy of city of Montpelier and Steve Bellows

16 thoughts on “Police admit no known threats or armed protests planned for Vermont Statehouse

  1. Recent history does show the party of wars started by Bush and Obama would still be raging away if not for DJT. Interesting, what President Kennedy #35 started and was murdered for – #45 may just finish it once and for all. The left and right can’t control their hyperbole or their true colors (China Red!) They want us divided and infighting so they can transfer all wealth to themselves and rule with an iron curtain-style fist. All enemies foreign and domestic – we are in a war no one can begin to comprehend…hopefully people will come to understand that soon.

  2. I’m still thinking that the ANTIFA recruiting in Brattleboro reported in an earlier addition might be setting up to create an armed protest at the state house wearing Trump supporting garb.

  3. I thought this was all President Trump’s follower’s fault…….we knew it was BS and now
    the truth is starting to come out, see the attached.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/01/another-leftist-arrested-capital-protest-identified-democrat-34-year-old-son-new-york-judge/

    50 state rebellion, just More hype from the liberal left……..don’t fall for the trap, in 2020 we’ve
    had an illegitimate election and we are getting an illegitimate President !!

  4. Ha,ha,ha. People of U.S. prefecture so funny! Think two party. Only only one CPC.

    “Something was happening here but you don’t know what it was did you Mr. Jones.”

    • Indeed, it’s interesting that Vermont Public Radio, this morning, is still pushing the ‘armed insurrection’ story – despite its lack of evidence. After all, since when did actual evidence interest the ‘Thin Man’.

      But I digress…. and date myself.

      • Comrade Jay,

        “Wisdom comes from experience and experience comes from a lack of wisdom.” Minus you 35 social credits for being historical wiseass!

  5. The Vermont Republican party is history – they’re finished. The weak-minded turncoats demonstrated they’re not willing to fight for those who voted them into office – which means they have no standards.
    I’ll be fighting to defeat every single one of them.

    • The Republican Party does not deserve Trump. Concerning the unconstitutional election if the shoe would have been on the other foot. The protests and violence from the left would be viewed as patriotism. Every House Commiecrat and every Commiecrat Senator would have stood in lockstep screaming about their constitutional right to do so. Instead this is what we get: Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (OH), Rep. Peter Meijer (MI), Rep. Fred Upton (MI), Rep. Liz Cheney (WY), Rep. John Katko (NY), Rep. Adam Kinzinger (IL), Rep. Tom Rice (SC), Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler (WA), Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA), and Rep. David Valadao (CA). Mitt Romney, Pat Toomy and the rest of the Republican squishes. Trump should kick them to the curb as well as his 75 million voters.

  6. Perhaps Michael Steele, of ‘dossier’ fame, was paid by Hillary Clinton to print the posters, and the FBI decided to run with them to attain illegal FISA warrants, just like they did back in 2016. I’m sure they’ll find someone who said they heard someone say they heard someone else say that Trump printed the posters. Maybe they’ll even impeach Trump again.

    Oh, that’s right. They ARE impeaching Trump again. So, what else is new?

    • Yes, every Democrat voted to impeach President Trump. Nothing new.

      Republicans who voted to impeach the president today were Representatives:
      Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.),
      John Katko (R-N.Y.),
      Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.),
      Fred Upton (R-Mich.),
      Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.),
      Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.),
      Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio),
      Tom Rice (R-S.C.),
      David Valadao (R-Calif.), and
      Peter Meijer (R-Mich.)

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