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More Ohio National Guard Called Up For “Armed March” Planned This Weekend

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Saying “violence will not be tolerated in Ohio”, Gov. Mike DeWine says the Highway Patrol and the Ohio National Guard will back up Columbus police forces for a planned “armed march” by right-wing and pro-Trump supporters this weekend.

A group of Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers helps with putting up fencing around the closed-off entrance to the west side of the Ohio Statehouse, where protests are often held.
A group of Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers helps with putting up fencing around the closed-off entrance to the west side of the Ohio Statehouse, where protests are often held. [Karen Kasler | Statehouse News Bureau]
DeWine said 700 members of the Ohio National Guard will be in Washington DC or closeby in the coming days – an increase of 500 over the number initially authorized. About 20,000 National Guard personnel are expected in the US Capitol for the inauguration of President Joe Biden on January 20.

DeWine also is ordering the closure of the Ohio Statehouse and all state office buildings starting on Sunday. They’ll be closed through Inauguration Day on Wednesday.

Democratic Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther joined the Republican DeWine for the announcement, saying, “Hate has no place in Columbus, Ohio or the United States of America.”

Ginther urged people to avoid protests this weekend and in the next few days, and he suggested people be aware of their surroundings for the next few days.

There’s been reporting of “armed marches” planned for all 50 state capitals, and that Columbus may be a target in particular.

A protest in front of the Statehouse on January 6, as Congress certified Biden’s Electoral College win, turned violent, though there were no arrests.

Concealed carry permit holders are allowed to carry on the Statehouse grounds, and gun owners are permitted to open carry there as well. But weapons aren’t allowed in the buildings, which have metal detectors at entrances.

Windows at the Statehouse are being boarded up, as they were after the Statehouse was vandalized in protests this summer following the killing of George Floyd. Several downtown Columbus businesses have also boarded up their windows as well.

This story will be updated.