Election night came and went with far less violence than had been anticipated in cities across the US that had braced for bitter conflict ...
Election night came and went with far less violence than had been anticipated in cities across the US that had braced for bitter conflict between protesters and police.
The National Guard was activated in 16 states ahead of the election on Tuesday as businesses boarded up and entire police forces took to the streets to confront lawless crowds.
But as the results began rolling in after nightfall, demonstrations remained largely non-violent across major metros including New York City, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia.
By around 3am on the East Coast - as it became clear that the election likely won't be decided for days or weeks - most crowds appeared to bowed to police pressure and made their way home.
Some of the biggest clashes of the night were seen in Washington, DC, where Black Lives Matter protesters faced off with Trump supporters outside the White House, resulting in at least three arrests.
Video footage from Black Lives Matter Plaza shows tensions overflowing into physical altercations as thousands gathered to demonstrate amid a heavy presence from Metropolitan police.
According to reports, Black Lives Matter demonstrators were angered when a Trump supporter began shouting: 'All lives matter, white lives matter.'
One video showed the man speaking with a protester before he was shoved into a barricade and surrounded by a mob. After being punched to the ground, the man managed to break free and run away from his aggressors.
Another video showed a man in a 'Make America Great Again' shirt squaring off with a protester and trying to taunt him into a fight.
Shouting also erupted in a tense stand-off between protesters and cops, forcing officers to pull back from the plaza to restore calm. Protesters have threatened to stay out and force civil unrest around the White House for weeks if Trump is re-elected.
Further arrests were made in smaller-scale demonstrations in Minneapolis, Portland and Seattle after fireworks were set off and protesters placed items such as nails in the road to block traffic.
In Los Angeles, police declared two unlawful assemblies over the course of the night due to 'large and unruly' crowds. The LAPD said 40 people were arrested and 30 received citations for blocking traffic and refusing to disperse.
WASHINGTON DC: Protesters dressed in black, carrying umbrellas and holding signs marched through the streets of Washington in the early hours of Wednesday morning after three arrests were made in the Capitol on election night
PORTLAND: Several protesters carried firearms on Tuesday in Portland, Oregon, an open-carry state
LOS ANGELES: Police officers detain people outside of Staples Center at around 8pm PST
LOS ANGELES: Police hold a protester against a wall as they take him into custody following an unlawful assembly
LOS ANGELES: A line of police stand in an intersection near the Staples Center after an unlawful assembly was declared
LOS ANGELES: Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills was deserted on Tuesday night, despite predictions of unrest
NYC: Police vans line the street in a quiet Times Square on election night
NYC: A protester uses an American flag to batter a Trump piñata on Tuesday night in Times Square
MINNEAPOLIS: Protesters march through Uptown lighting off fireworks as election numbers from across the US come in
MINNEAPOLIS: Police take a woman into custody at Bryant Square Park in Minnesota on Tuesday night
SEATTLE: Protesters march through the streets on election night in Seattle as multiple arrests were made
The various groups of protesters began to gather in front of the White House from Tuesday afternoon, preparing for a night of demonstrations even as many states still had hours to go until polling stations closed.
As night fell, DC police ramped up patrols around the 'non-scalable' fence that was erected on the perimeter of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Cops escorted a truck of musical performers as Shutdown D.C. and Black Lives Matter began their demonstrations to 'start this next phase of the election cycle in the streets'.
The groups had planned an eight-hour event at Black Lives Matter Plaza that would include a giant screen showing election results, DJs and performances by bands playing Washington's signature go-go music. A new report claims that they 'planned for months' to launch a new wave of protests from election night.
WASHINGTON DC: Police officers arrest a protester. There have been at least two arrests in the Capitol linked to the protests
WASHINGTON, DC: Clashes erupted on Black Lives Plaza in a tense stand-off between different groups of protesters that cops struggled to get under control. There was later a tense stand-off between BLM protesters and cops after a man was arrested
WASHINGTON, DC: Metropolitan police on bikes were dispatched after a major scuffle erupted between protesters
WASHINGTON, DC: Crowds outside the White House began to grow as the night progressed and tensions rose between protesters
WASHINGTON, DC: A Trump supporter taunts Biden supporters in Black Lives Matter Plaza on Tuesday night
WASHINGTON, DC: Elsewhere, Proud Boys and Trump supporters partied in a local bar as the results came in
WASHINGTON, DC: In another part of the city, Trump supporters watch the results come in at a local bar
WASHINGTON, DC: A man dressed as President Trump has his hands chained in a street as he protests near the White House
WASHINGTON, DC: Two men were arrested Tuesday evening on 16th Street in front of The Capital Hilton. A uniformed police officer told the DailyMail.com, that the two men were arrested as a result of an assault against an unknown person
WASHINGTON, DC: Protesters unfurl a banner that says 'Remove Trump' on Black Lives Matter Plaza on election night
The first protester was taken into custody at around 5.15pm after demonstrators failed to comply with police orders to move a vehicle that was illegally parked and charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, according to NBC.
The second two arrests were made at around 9.30pm as officers on bikes were deployed to break up a major scuffle. It is not known if the arrest was linked to the earlier violence between protesters captured on video.
Cops were seen loading canisters with crowd control munitions as struggled to remove the man who had been placed under arrest from the crowds.
While some Trump supporters were present, they were vastly outnumbered by anti-Trump protesters and videos showed them being attacked as protesters began to spread through the city.
WASHINGTON, DC: Police arrest a protester as a truck with musicians plays live Gogo music at protests near the White House
WASHINGTON, DC: A Trump supporter tries to run from demonstrators at Black Lives Matter plaza after being punched and pushed down
WASHINGTON, DC: Two men were arrested after an attack on a Trump supporter who allegedly shouted: 'white lives matter'
WASHINGTON, DC: Metropolitan police officers keep a small crowd back during a scuffle on Black Lives Matter Plaza
WASHINGTON, DC: Biden supporters watch as election results are broadcast on a big screen near the White House
WASHINGTON, DC: A protester waves sage in front of police near a live music truck in Black Lives Matter Plaza
WASHINGTON, DC: A dance group entertains people gathered outside the White House while awaiting election results. What started off as a party atmosphere quickly grew more tense as clashes erupted between protesters and Trump supporters
Elsewhere in the city, the president's fans gathered in a bar to celebrate as the results came in.
Earlier in the day, the atmosphere remained party-like but quickly descended into tension as the crowds grew and results began to break.
Two large black banners were unfurled that read 'Trump Lies All The Time' and 'Remove Trump' in white print.
According to the Shutdown website, the group warned that Tuesday's protest would 'not be the time we need to create disruption to stop a coup - yet' as votes would still be coming in. D.C.
'But we'll be in a good place to respond to whatever might happen. This has been a really long and dark era so we're going to be together to process our feelings of hope, anger, fear and exhaustion as a community,' it added.
'Regardless of the results, election-night programming will probably wrap up around midnight so we can be energized and ready to hit the streets again on the 4th.'
WASHINGTON, DC: The mood was festive as Proud Boys celebrate at Harry's Bar in Washington on Tuesday evening
WASHINGTON, DC: A Proud Boys member holds up a white power sign at Harry's Bar on Tuesday night
WASHINGTON, DC: A woman wears a mask depicting President Trump as she protests near the White House on Tuesday night
Yet protesters were seen becoming confrontational with cops as the night progressed. One video posted on social media at around 10pm showed a protesters shouting 'F*ck you. F*ck all you' as a police car moved through the crowds.
At results came in, the protests also began to gain momentum followed cops out of the plaza as they retreated after making arrests.
Protesters were pictured jumping on cars and dancing as they marched through the streets with a moving concert stage. The march was tracked by cops but quickly returned to the area around the White House.
American flags were burned, a trash can was set alight and firework were set off as the march continued under a sea of black umbrellas.
Further clashes were seen as demonstrators confronted Trump supporters, ripping flags from their hands and stalking those who tried to film what was happening.
At midnight, hundreds were still marching near Dupont Circle although their destination was not known.
WASHINGTON, DC: Police escort a truck of musical performers along K Street Northwest, outside the Hyatt Place hotel
WASHINGTON, DC: People gather in area renamed as Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House on Tuesday evening
WASHINGTON, DC: Demonstrators react outside the White House while waiting on election results on Tuesday evening
WASHINGTON, DC: People gather in Black Lives Matter Plaza as they launch a wave of protests
WASHINGTON, DC: Police officers and local residents are seen in a street near the White House on Election Day
Cities around the nation are bracing for election-related unrest as activists get ready for what could be weeks of sustained street actions, depending on how the vote count goes and how President Donald Trump acts after his repeated refusals to say whether he will accept the results.
At least six groups have made requests for permits for protests in D.C. over the next few days.
The preparations have brought together a diverse constellation of groups, some decades old and others formed this past summer in the wake of George Floyd's death.
Demonstrators are gearing up for potential violence, especially after June, when Trump used federal law enforcement to clear the plaza outside the White House that had been filled with peaceful protesters.
'The police are readying for battle. We should be very clear about that,' April Goggans, a core organizer with the local Black Lives Matter affiliate, said during an Oct. 26 online training session, according to Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, DC: An alleged early skirmish between protesters and cops broke out early on Tuesday evening
WASHINGTON, DC: The scuffle allegedly led to one protester being arrested at around 5.15pm
WASHINGTON, DC: People gather in Black Lives Matter Plaza near White House as protests begin before polls even close
Organizer Nadine Bloch has been conducting training sessions (mostly on Zoom but a few socially distanced live ones) for everyone from passionate young street protestors to federal employees seeking methods of professional civil disobedience.
Black Lives Matter protesters have organized for months to launch a new wave of demonstrations starting outside the White House on election night that could carry on for weeks, according to a new report.
A collection of activist groups led by Black Lives Matter and Shutdown D.C. have been holding training sessions via Zoom to mobilize thousands in the event of a Biden loss, if the president fails to concede or if Trump decides to contest the results, Fox News claims.
The report claims to have accessed recordings of some of the training sessions that revealed the aim was to continue civil unrest across the United States from election day until the presidential inauguration in January.
WASHINGTON, DC: An evangelical group talks about abortion outside the White House while awaiting election results
WASHINGTON, DC: Protest signage is seen outside of the White House on Election Day
WASHINGTON, DC: People gather in front of the White House the day of the election leaving protest signs on the barriers
Fox alleges that they also gained access to documents which showed plans to shut down federal buildings, including the White House, and to ambush members of Congress as they arrived to D.C. via public transport following the election, although were not able to confirm their legitimacy.
Speaking to Fox, the FBI did not confirm or deny if an investigation was underway into plans by activist groups to cause unrest in the coming days if Trump causes and upset and takes victory.
It did, however, reveal that it has been working on a federal, state and local level to 'gather and analyze intelligence to determine whether individuals might be motivated to take violent action for any reason'.
It added that its aim was to provide a 'centralized location for assessing election-related threats, tracking status reports and significant complaints from FBI field offices, monitoring for indicators of a coordinated nationwide effort to disrupt the election process, providing guidance to FBI field offices, and coordinating an FBI response to any election-related incident'.
According to Fox, the training sessions included maps displaying police stations, key government buildings, and media outlets in the D.C. area.
One of the Zoom sessions allegedly featured activist Lisa Fithian from the Sunrise Movement, who outlined 'what would it take to surround the White House'.
'We're facing an administration and a potential coup and a potential insurrection,' Fithian allegedly said.
'Is there going to be a war? Are people gonna get killed? Like is that on anybody else's mind? I'm guessing it is. We're going to see potential fighting all over the country or in some hotspots, and we've already seen that, so how do we work together across the country to help support each other no matter where we are and to maximize our impact by doing similar things on similar days at similar times?'
Fox claims she added that those willing to break windows should do so to gain access to buildings.
'We have to be willing to put our bodies on the line and take on some discomfort and sacrifice risk in order to change things.'
'We are going to be in a crisis but we want to make sure it's one that we are creating. We want them to be responding to us and us not responding to them. In a situation of a coup or an insurrection or an uprising, whoever's got the guns, often can win. We should be clear. Trump's gotta go,' she said, according to the recording of the call posted to the YouTube account SunriseExposed.
The video has since been removed from the site for violating community guidelines.
Elsewhere in the country, large NYPD trucks surrounded Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on Tuesday evening as they prepared for the closing of the polls yet by midnight there were no reports of any mayhem or even heated protests in the Big Apple.
NYC: Scene outside of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue on election night as results began to trickle in
NYC: Workers board up a store as NYPD trucks are parked in front of Trump Tower on Monday night
NYC: A woman with a U.S. President Donald Trump mask dances over a U.S. flag outside Trump Tower on Election Day in NY
NYC: NYPD trucks are parked in front of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue the night before the Presidential Elections in New York
NYC: Heavily armed members of the NYPD stand guard outside Trump Tower in Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon
The NYPD had anticipated unrest Tuesday morning as Chief Terence A. Monahan issued a stark warning to activists, cautioning 'don't even try it'.
'We know who you are and you will be arrested,' he said.
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said on Tuesday morning: 'The police officers are going to be out in force.
'They're going to have zero tolerance for it. Zero tolerance. I can't be any more clear than that.'
The NYPD confirmed on Tuesday evening that they had plans in place to establish car and pedestrian-free zones if large-scale looting began to occur.
Yet despite the criticism leveled against Mayor Bill de Blasio earlier in the day for claiming that there was 'no reason' for businesses to board up their windows ahead of election day, he appeared to have been correct.
NYC: Protesters join the UNITE NY - Take The Power Back march in Brooklyn on the afternoon of Election Day
NYC: Protesters hold placards as they march against U.S President Donald Trump's administration on Election Day
NYC: Police officers stand guard outside of a Levi's Store as protesters march in the streets of New York
NYC: As of midnight, protests in the Big Apple were much smaller than had been anticipated
NYC: Members of Refuse Fascism march to Washington Square Park at around 10pm on Tuesday night
NYC: A woman arranges signs at Barclays Center during a march in Brooklyn to encourage people to vote on Election Day
Just before 10pm a crowd gathered near Washington Square Park in Manhattan and while Trump supporters were mostly seen outside his former residence on Fifth Avenue. Both locations had a heavy police presence.
Smaller demonstrations were seen in Brooklyn but nothing close to the extent of the Black Lives Matter protests during the summer.
According to NBC, more than 1,000 cops were gathered on Tuesday evening on Randall's Island to be briefed on known agitators and deployed to known protest locations across the city.
Cops told NBC that they planned to allow protesters to get their message across but would have no tolerance for any violence or looting, stating that they were ready to take action if peaceful demonstrations begin to change or if any crimes are committed.
Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Portland and Seattle on election leading to multiple arrests and continuing months of civil unrest in both cities.
PORTLAND: Demonstrators vowed to continue protesting the coming weeks regardless of who wins the presidential election
PORTLAND: Hundreds marched in Portland which has seen months of continuous protest since George Floyd's death
PORTLAND: Protesters preparing to march in Portland on election night. Several demonstrators carried firearms
SEATTLE: Police officers arrest a person as people march on the night of the election
SEATTLE: Police said they arrested several people in Seattle on Tuesday night, including someone who put nails in a road and another who drove over a barricade and into a police bike lane. No one was injured
In Portland, demonstrators vowed to continue protesting the coming weeks regardless of who wins the presidential election.
Several Portland protesters were opening carrying firearms in the open-carry state, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, as the National Guard stood on standby.
In Seattle, police gave one group of of protesters a warning not to block the streets and two marches merged.
Police said they arrested eight people, including one person who attacked a parking meter with a hammer, another who put nails in a road and a third who drove over a barricade and into a police bike lane. No one was injured.
The atmosphere was just as tense in Los Angeles where an unlawful demonstration was declared downtown near the Staples Center due to the gathering of a 'large and unruly crowd'.
LOS ANGELES: Police officers stand guard outside of Staples Center after an unlawful assembly is declared
LOS ANGELES: The unlawful assembly was declared after officers came across a 'large and unruly crowd'
LOS ANGELES: It is not clear if any arrests were made but several people were detained and questioned
LOS ANGELES: Police move into position during a protest in Los Angeles on election night
LOS ANGELES: Rodeo Drive is deserted as America goes to the polls on Tuesday
LOS ANGELES: The world famous strip is boarded up and heavily protected by police as they brace for potential unrest
According to ABC7, a large police presence responded after reports of individuals wearing all black marching through the area. Officers stopped several people wearing helmets and kneepads.
'Due to a large and unruly crowd, the LAPD has declared an unlawful assembly & issued a dispersal order in the area of Pico & Figueroa northwest corner,' LAPD tweeted. 'At this time, anyone in the area is to leave immediately and follow all orders from any police officer. This area is now closed.'
In a subsequent tweet the LAPD wrote: 'Approximately 30 individuals were cited for being in the intersection. Approximately 40 individuals were arrested for blocking the train tracks and failing to disperse after an unlawful assembly was declared. This is preliminary information and subject to change.'
A second unlawful assembly was declared after midnight around 18th Street and Figueroa and protesters were ordered to leave the area.
The day before, Ava DuVernay gave a passionate speech at a Black Lives Matter event at Staples Center on Monday, where she urged voters to participate in the 2020 election.
'Thank you for holding space for this resistance, for this power, for this voice, for demonstrating who we are, that we can proclaim what we want, that we can exercise rights that are given to us and rights that we take that are not given to us, that we can declare what we want,' she said in a video captured by BLM Los Angeles.
She continued: 'This moment is not an end all be all. This vote, this election is not even the half of what is ahead of us and what needs to happen tomorrow and the next day and the next day. But it is a tool, it is a weapon in our arsenal and we are going to fight. We are in a war.'
The LAPD announced in a tweet on Tuesday evening that they had 'declared a citywide tactical alert to ensure sufficient resources to address any incidents that may arise as a result of Election Day activities'
LOS ANGELES: A group waits for election news as protests gather elsewhere in the city
An armored vehicle patrols a boarded up Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills on Tuesday
An armored vehicle patrols a boarded up Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills on Tuesday afternoon
The LAPD was both preparing for potential unrest as the National Guard was activated in 16 states on election day
The LAPD announced earlier Tuesday evening that they had 'declared a citywide tactical alert to ensure sufficient resources to address any incidents that may arise as a result of Election Day activities'.
However they cautioned that it had not been implemented as 'a result of any specific incident'.
In Beverly Hills, the 130-officer equipped police force has gone into maximum deployment from October 31 to November 7, according to Deadline. Officers are being asked to put in 12-hour shifts and the department has sub-contracted a S.W.A.T. team and 80 private security guards.
In Minnesota, multiple people were taken into custody as following protests near Uptown Minneapolis, according to CBS Local.
Police were monitoring a group of about 30 people through the night but the protests cleared by about midnight after the arrests were made.
Scenes were quieter in Chicago where the group 'Refuse Facism' gathered only 20 people to watch the results at Federal Plaza although other there is other protest activity planned for Wednesday.
Yet earlier in the day, officials had raised the Wabash Avenue bridge in a preemptive move against any unrest.
MINNEAPOLIS: Multiple arrests were made in the city where George Floyd was killed in May sparking a wave of BLM protests
MINNEAPOLIS: Protesters march through the Uptown area of Minneapolis, lighting off fireworks as election numbers from across the country started to come in Tuesday night
MINNEAPOLIS: Police arrested protested who marched with fireworks to Uptown in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS: Police take a person into custody at Bryant Square Park in Minneapolis
Gatherings were also subdued in Philadelphia yet activists there vowed to hold daily protests in LOVE Park if Trump were to claim an early victory, according to WHYY.
The bridge has been shut down 'as part of a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of residents,' said Mary May, spokeswoman for the Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker asked National Guard troops in his state to go to Chicago in anticipation of riots and looting.
A National Guard spokesman said the troops have not yet been given any specific directions.
'Obviously, people can see Illinois National Guard trucks and troops moving.
'This is to be ready to respond if needed, but we have not been given any missions. We, along with most other Illinoisans and Americans, hope we are not needed,' Barb Wilson, the spokesman, said.
PHILADELPHIA: Refuse Fascism Philly tweets as protesters gather at Independence Mall in Philadelphia on election night
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