On Wednesday, as election results came rolling in, protests emerged in cities across the country.
Both on the west coast and the mideast, pro-Trump protestors were chanting “Stop the Steal” and “Count my Vote”. Many furious Trump supporters gathered at vote-counting buildings and centres in Detroit, Michigan, Phoenix, Arizona, and Nevada, all key swing states where Trump trailed Biden.
It wasn’t just pro-Trump protestors protesting, but anti-Trump protests emerged too. Anti-Trump protests took place in Chicago, New York, and Detroit, where they were chanting “Count Every Vote”, referring to Trump declaring victory prior to millions of votes being tallied and saying that votes that hadn’t been counted by election night should not be counted.
Cities have already prepared for these protests by boarding up businesses, giving police additional training, and deploying more police officers than they otherwise would.
Wisconsin and Michigan have both been called for Biden, which makes Trumps path to victory extremely narrow. If Biden wins Nevada, which he is currently on track for, Biden will reach 270 electoral votes and effectively win the election. However, the Trump campaign has filed suits in Pennsylvania and Michigan, saying his campaign observers did not have adequate access to areas where ballots where being counted. They are also demanding a recount in Wisconsin.
As more results roll in, these protests could become larger and possibly turn into riots.
