Illinois State Police said they are "tracking possible events at the Illinois Capitol building this weekend" following a memo from the FBI warning law enforcement agencies across the country of possible armed protests at all 50 state capitols.
"The ISP remain vigilant in our mission to protect the safety of those engaged in the process of democracy, constitutional rights and public institutions," ISP said in a statement. "The ISP and local law enforcement will have all available resources at our disposal to respond to threats identified through federal, state and local intelligence."
The FBI memo reported the protests could begin as early as Jan. 16, and says an armed group has threatened to travel to Washington, D.C., the same day and stage an uprising if Congress removes President Donald Trump from office, according to a senior law enforcement official.
The memo includes information provided by the ATF, DEA, Defense Department, Park Police, and the U.S. Marshals, among other agencies, according to the law enforcement official. Some of the information came from social media, some from open source, and some from other sources of information.
While the memo discusses possible threats discussed by online actors for Jan. 16 through the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 20, it doesn’t mean that law enforcement agencies expect violent mass protests or confrontations in every state, NBC News reported.
For instance, a spokesperson for the FBI in Boston says, “At this point in time, the FBI Boston Division is not in possession of any intelligence indicating any planned, armed protests at the four state capitals in our area of responsibility. (ME, MA, NH, and RI) from January 17-20, 2021.”
