Biden inauguration: All 50 US states on alert for armed protests

All 50 US states and the District of Columbia (DC) are on alert for possible violent protests this weekend, ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Wednesday.

National Guard troops from across the country are being sent to Washington DC, to discourage any repeat of the deadly riot that unfolded on 6 January.

The FBI has warned of possible armed marches by pro-Trump demonstrators at all 50 state capitols.

The National Mall in DC has been shut.

Barricades are lining the streets of the capital amid tightened security.

The Biden team had already urged Americans to avoid travelling to the capital because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and local officials said people should watch the inauguration remotely.

Sunday is expected to be a particular focus for protests, after posts on pro-Trump and far-right online networks called for armed demonstrations on 17 January, and a march in Washington DC on inauguration day itself.

Some militias have told their followers not to attend, citing heavy security or claiming the planned events are police traps.

It follows a week in which Donald Trump became the first US president to be impeached twice. He now faces a Senate trial, on a charge of "incitement of insurrection" linked to the storming of the US Capitol by groups of his supporters on 6 January. BBC