Lansing protest ahead of inauguration day a nothingburger as demonstrators fail to show up, organize
By William Walton-Case
Sun contributor
Less than 30 protestors gathered outside the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing on Sunday, January 17.
A bulletin from the FBI warned “armed protests are being planned at all 50 state capitols from 16 January through at least 20 January, and at the US Capitol from 17 January through 20 January.” A flyer circulating online called for a mass of demonstrators to gather in Lansing at noon today, Jan. 17.
Security in the city was increased in preparation for the demonstration, and legislative sessions have been put on hold until Jan. 21 due to “credible threats”. The streets surrounding the Capitol Building were closed to vehicle traffic, police helicopters patrolled the skies, and a combined presence of the Michigan National Guard, Michigan State Police, and local law enforcement patrolled the streets. The Capitol Building itself was surrounded by a six-foot temporary fence.
When protestors arrived, the scene was quite different from the scene in Washington, D.C. Less than three dozen protestors were present at any time, with the majority of demonstrators heading home by 1:30 p.m. The protest remained peaceful, with no arrests occurring, and demonstrators struggled to coalesce around a particular goal.
Some protestors identified as members of various alt-right communities, protesting due to a belief in the false claim that Biden had “stolen” the 2020 election. Others who distanced themselves from these groups identified as traditional conservatives; these demonstrators saw the day as an opportunity to protest COVID-19 dining restrictions which they claim unfairly harm small businesses. One protestor carried an anti-Semitic sign that accused President Donald Trump of “being (a part) of the deep state, in Israel’s pocket.” He declined to elaborate further on his beliefs.
One protestor who would only identify himself by his first name said he believed Trump’s false claim that the election was stolen by Biden.
“I’m here because Donald Trump is my president and I believe this election was unfairly stolen from him,” said Alex from Traverse City.
“This is the most important time, politically and socially, I’ve seen in my lifetime. We need to fight for truth,” said Alex, who declined to share any further information, citing the arrests and investigations into the Jan. 6 insurrection in Washington, D.C. “I’m absolutely not sharing my last name; I’ve seen how the patriots who went to DC have been treated.”
Two demonstrators briefly got in a verbal altercation, both accusing the other of being “antifa false flaggers.”
Duncan Lemp, a member of the Boogaloo Boys—a group predicated on the idea of a coming “Civil War II”—said that the demonstration was meant to be a coming together of different groups from across the alt-right diaspora.
Ultimately, the different groups making up the demonstration were unable to agree on a goal, and by 5 p.m. only a handful of stragglers remained in the area along with law enforcement and the media. As they were leaving, multiple demonstrators said that they were demoralized by Trump’s failure to openly embrace the events of Jan. 6, his second impeachment and by the low turnout today.
Lorence Wenke, a member of Michigan’s Libertarian party and a former GOP State Representative from Galesburg, parked his truck outside of the Capitol Building with a sign thanking Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for her “Leadership, Grace and Integrity.” Wenke said he was ashamed of what he saw on Jan. 6 and added that he believes the governor has handled the pandemic well, citing his own experience making “unpopular” moves in Lansing.
At 4:25 p.m. the Michigan State Police confirmed that no more than 25 demonstrators were present at peak attendance. The increased security will remain in Lansing until after President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are inaugurated on Jan. 20. Trump plans to leave the White House that morning and will not attend the inauguration ceremony. While the protest in Lansing today saw low turnout and was peaceful, it is unknown whether or not more protestors plan to attend on inauguration day or the days leading up to it.
