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Indiana Preparing For Armed Protests Ahead Of Biden Inauguration

State Police troopers and Indiana National Guardsmen were stationed around the Indiana Statehouse during 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.
Justin Hicks/IPB News
State Police troopers and Indiana National Guardsmen were stationed around the Indiana Statehouse during 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.

Gov. Eric Holcomb says Indiana is prepared ahead of potential protests this weekend stemming from last week’s insurrection in Washington, D.C.

The FBI is warning of armed protests in all 50 state capitols in the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.

Holcomb said the state will ensure a “peaceful expression of opinions.”

“We will be not just prepared but ready to do everything that we need to be doing to maintain law and order,” Holcomb said.

State Police Superintendent Doug Carter said it’s “all hands on deck.”

“We have a very strong relationship with the Indiana National Guard, with the Department of Homeland Security – both at the state level and at the federal level – federal agencies," Carter said. "Many, many meetings have occurred with the IMPD, with our intelligence folks and I think we’re well-positioned.”

Carter said Indiana has not received any specific threats related to the protests.

Contact reporter Brandon at  bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

Brandon Smith has covered the Statehouse for Indiana Public Broadcasting for more than a decade, spanning three governors and a dozen legislative sessions. He's also the host of Indiana Week in Review, a weekly political and policy discussion program seen and heard across the state.
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