Protests Erupt in the Days Following the Election

**Businesses, institutions, and voters across the country prepared for post-election chaos.**
Illustration: Mazie Neill · *The Sentry*

With uncertainty and doubt plaguing the results of the 2020 US Presidential Election, local businesses and institutions boarded up their windows and doors expecting the worst. Over the last few months, countless buildings experienced the brunt of unrelenting civil unrest, with broken glass and char leaving indelible marks on the history of America.

As people held their breath for days, the threats of violence predicted by the media never quite happened. Despite the tens of millions of people that voted for Trump, only small groups of his most ardent supporters showed up to various locations around the country. One incident involving armed militia led to the early closing and evacuation of the Maricopa County Elections Department in Phoenix, Arizona, further slowing down the counting of votes.

For those who felt discouraged yet again by the lesser-evil binary choice, Biden and Trump both represented the racism and imperialism of the country they have been struggling against. On the night after the election, a sizable crowd marched through downtown Denver chanting “No borders! No wall! No USA at all!” They also carried a massive banner that read “Death to Fascism and the Liberalism that Enables It,” swiping at both sides of the political aisle in Washington. Police made several arrests after banks experienced damage.

Given the results of the last few elections, it appears Colorado is no longer a “battleground” state for national elections, especially with Republican Cory Gardner losing his Senate seat to former Democrat governor John Hickenlooper. Despite a lead of more than ten percentage points for Biden, Trump supporters still arrived at the Colorado State Capitol waving their flags. Looking at a map of the results presents a complicated picture, however, as the majority of Colorado Springs and the eastern part of the state overwhelmingly embraced Trump.

Even in the weeks leading up to the election, protests across the state led to civil unrest. Militia members from the Springs have been threatening violence on activists in Denver and organizing their own gatherings. When they showed up at Civic Center Park for a so-called “Patriot Muster” on Oct. 10, opposing protestors faced off against each other for hours. When the far-right groups decided to leave the Greek Ampitheatre and go home, a verbal confrontation escalated into the death of a person affiliated with the militias. A security guard for 9News opened fire after being maced and threatened by the individual, according to several different video angles of the incident.

Eventually, the number of votes crystalized into a resounding victory for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris by the morning of Nov. 7. Massive crowds poured onto the streets and drowned out the small gatherings of those on the side of Trump.

Trump continues to reject Joe Biden as the President-Elect, and these groups appear to be standing back and standing by as he instructed. Thousands of Trump supporters descended on Washington, DC and other locations around the country on Nov 14. to protest the results of the election. Counter-demonstrators scuffled with pro-Trump supporters waving swastika flags and Trump regalia into the night, providing a glimpse into the tensions boiling up in America.

This is a selection from the Nov. 18 issue. To view the full issue, visit: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/317848/