Armed protesters gathered at the Ohio State Capitol on Sunday afternoon as state houses across the country raised security to confront the possibility of civil unrest ahead of the inauguration day.
About 50 protesters, some armed with assault weapons and other firearms, escorted a “Liberty or Death” flag to Columbus State House, according to USA Today.
Ohio is an open state, meaning licensed owners can display their weapons.
According to the local station WBNS, the crowd included both supporters of President Trump and counter-protesters, at least one of whom carried a flag of Black Lives Matters.
By 2:30 p.m., most of them had left.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol told the CBS branch that no arrests had been made this afternoon.
Gov. Mike DeWine has granted the authority to deploy up to 580 members of the National Guard to secure government buildings in Buckeye State, leading to the inauguration of President Joe Biden, according to USA Today.
Two hundred kilometers away, a handful of armed protesters attached to right-wing militias gathered in Lansing State House, MI, on Sunday afternoon.
No violence was reported.