GA Capitol Security Tightened Ahead Of Possible Armed Protests

ATLANTA, GA — After the FBI sent a memo earlier this week warning state authorities in all 50 states of armed protests ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, Georgia officials have ramped up security at the Gold Dome in preparation.

And GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan told CNN Georgia is “less safe” right now because of the words and rhetoric of President Donald Trump leading up to the riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp extended an executive order last week authorizing him to deploy the Georgia National Guard beginning Jan. 11. Kemp said Tuesday he is taking a no-nonsense approach to defending the state Capitol in Atlanta should armed protests occur, but did not give specific details of how Georgia is preparing to avoid tipping off anyone monitoring state measures.

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However, some additional security measures can be seen in downtown Atlanta. In addition to the 8-foot-tall, spiked metal bar fence surrounding the state Capitol building — which was constructed last year following racial injustice protests and riots in the city — barricades have been put up around Atlanta City Hall, according to Fox 5 Atlanta photojournalist Thomas Bradley.

Along with the Georgia State Capitol barricades are put up around the @CityofAtlanta city hall in @downtownatlanta. Due to the #CapitolRiots city officials aren't taking any chances with safety. #fox5atl pic.twitter.com/mICa55mRU9
— Thomas D Bradley (@ThomasDBradley) January 16, 2021

Police in military-style uniforms are also patrolling the state Capitol building, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Capitol Police, Georgia National Guard and the Georgia State Patrol have also beefed up security at the Capitol — so much so that Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, among others, has been escorted into the Gold Dome by armed SWAT members.

“We started our General Assembly session on Monday, and here I was getting out of the vehicle on Monday with armed SWAT members with full body armor,” Duncan, a Republican, told CNN Friday. “Looking out my office window yesterday, it dawned on me that the gentlemen standing there in the rain was there not because of a terrorist, but because potentially a Republican could want to attack our Capitol or myself … I can’t fathom that.”

“We should never, as a party, let a person be more powerful than our party,” Georgia Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan tells @PoppyHarlowCNN.
“If we don't move away from the party of Trump, we will continue to lose and we will not be in the White House in 2024.” pic.twitter.com/F2ZNZBmExc
— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) January 15, 2021

Trump’s repeated attempts to overturn the presidential election results in Georgia have fanned the heated political climate, Duncan told CNN.

“Actions have consequences, and when you’re willing to lie to 350 million people, you’re going to see consequences, and unfortunately we’re watching those consequences play out. It’s troubling, but we’re in the midst of picking up the pieces here in Georgia and trying to move on.

“Almost immediately when I heard that call, I was disgusted. It had no place, I can’t imagine anybody on his staff thought that was a good idea, and certainly there’s going to be consequences for that,” Duncan told CNN.

Duncan also said the sooner the Republican party and the nation can move past President Donald Trump, the better, citing the Jan. 2 phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger where the president asked him to "find" enough votes to overturn the election and declare Trump the winner.

“I think that phone call was a massive pivot point for the Republican party. It broke fact from fiction in one fell swoop on a phone call,” Duncan said. “I’m encouraged that the movement is starting to build [toward a GOP 2.0]. We should never, as a party, let a person be more important or powerful than our party.

“I can assure you if [the Republican party does not] move away from the party of Trump, we will continue to lose and we will not be in the White House in 2024."