Protests Sparked by Election

On Saturday, November 7th 2020, Democratic nominee Joe Biden was announced as having won the election with 290 electoral votes. After being announced as President-Elect, protests have broken out throughout the country claiming President Donald Trump won the election. The protesters claim that Joe Biden has stolen the election by faking votes. There has been no evidence provided to support the protesters’ claims. These protests continue and even escalate as President Trump refuses to concede.

As a precaution, before the election took place on November 3rd, many major cities were seen preparing for protests, rioting, and looting sparked by the election. Many cities had most building windows boarded up, and police units prepared for violent riots. In California, officials even closed Rodeo Drive in preparation for civil unrest. As expected, after Election Day, protests broke out throughout the country. On Wednesday, November 4th, Democrats protested in large cities like Portland, Oregon demanding every vote be counted, in response to President Trump calling for votes to stop being counted.

Republicans protested in cities like Phoenix, Arizona, claiming that Democrats had stolen President Trump’s rightful election victory with fraudulent votes. However, no evidence has been provided to back up these claims. 

In Arizona, supporters of President Trump have gathered for four consecutive days, using the slogan “Stop The Steal”. At these protests, very few protesters are seen wearing masks, and many protesters state that COVID-19 is a hoax. Some supporters have also claimed that COVID-19 lockdown orders have been used to frighten voters into voting by mail, which one supporter claims increases the risk of election officials tampering with ballots. This statement, however, has been debunked by multiple news outlets and sources, including one well-respected Republican source.

One group consistently protesting election results are the far-right Proud Boys. The Proud Boys, founded in 2016, have a history of violence, islamophobia, homophobia, and do not allow women or trans men to become a “Brother”, or a member in the group. While they officially reject racism, multiple members have been affiliated with white supremacy. The Proud Boys believe that men and Western culture have been diluted and oppressed, and wish to bring white, conservative, ideals back. On Saturday, November 14th, the Proud Boys are planning to gather at the White House at 12pm EST. More supporters will join the Proud Boys for a march protesting that President-Elect Joe Biden’s win. As of right now, it is unclear just how many people will attend the march on Saturday, however, a large turnout is expected for the self-branded “Million MAGA March.” 

The expectation of a large turnout at the march has sparked multiple counter-protests in large cities across the country. One such example of this are the protests against MAGA and President Trump that are currently planned in Portland, Oregon. These protests are expected to occur this weekend where large gatherings of a varied mixed group of people are expected.