TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A lone demonstrator was the only person to show up Sunday at the state Capitol in Tallahassee.
His message: Share the love.
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While it was quiet Sunday following an FBI warning that put all 50 state capitols on alert, snipers and spotters were positioned on rooftops around the complex, helicopters circled, and hundreds more police and National Guardsmen were quietly out of sight. The giant flag usually flying at the state Vietnam War Memorial was removed to prevent damage.
Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey told reporters that the arrest Friday of a man accused of planning a violent counterprotest, as well as the National Guard troops on hand, served to keep people away.
“I hope nothing happens. I hope that we continue to have the peaceful days we always do and that we enjoy. But hope alone is not a plan. We are prepared,” Dailey said. “The great men and women of our law enforcement community have been working around the clock, have been working at every level. We are prepared.”
The order calling up the National Guard has troops activated through Thursday, the day after the inauguration. State police are also expected to remain at heightened alertness through midweek.
The capital city canceled its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade set for Monday. It has been rescheduled for Feb. 6.