On Wednesday, there will be a joint session of Congress where the members will vote to certify the result of the electoral college count. Outside in the streets, there will be a different sight than we would normally expect to see during this rather standard part of the electoral process. More than one hundred National Guardsmen will be out on the streets in the vicinity of the Capitol building, preparing for possible unrest as the joint session is taking place. This was apparently the brainstorm of DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, who requested the military muscle in case violence broke out. (National Review)

Hundreds of National Guard troops are being deployed to Washington D.C., in anticipation of potential protests and rioting in response to Congress’ forthcoming vote to affirm President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.

After Mayor Muriel Bowser on New Year’s Eve requested assistance from the Guard on the streets from January 5 to 7th, 340 National Guard troops will be activated, according to the Associated Press.

A joint session of Congress will meet Wednesday to tally Electoral College votes. A long and contentious session is expected after a number of Republicans have vowed to challenge the electoral votes. President Trump has refused to concede the election and has encouraged his supporters to show up for protests in Washington on Wednesday to voice their opposition to the certification of results.

Working in rotation, 115 members of the guard are planned to be on the streets at any given time. They will be providing backup to the district police at various locations, including the Metro stations.

Another curious item from the announcement is that the Guardsmen will not be armed and they won’t be wearing body armor. If they are being called up to prevent any outbursts of violence, why would you send them in there in uniform without protection? It just seems to me like that makes them targets more than an enhanced security presence.

It’s worth noting that Muriel Bowser was very clear in expressing her concerns. She’s warning about Trump supporters who may be coming to protest the results of the electoral college vote. As such, she wants some extra muscle on hand to face off with anyone who plans to “incite violence, intimidate our residents or cause destruction.”

That’s funny because, just like the rest of the Democratic mayors in charge of large cities, when the BLM riots were breaking out, she insisted that she didn’t want any form of military help because we’re not supposed to quash the voices of the “peaceful protesters.” But now that she’s heard rumors of a rare protest by the President’s supporters, she wants to figuratively call in the big guns. I’m sure Mayor Bowser would be terribly upset if somebody in a MAGA hat wound up getting shot, right?

Just as with any other activist group in the nation, if people want to show up to conduct an actual peaceful protest of what’s going on this Wednesday, they should be free to express themselves. But if they start busting up the city, setting fires, and mimicking the things that have been happening for the past year in other cities, the cops and the National Guard should be beating them down. And no, I don’t give a hoot who they are marching to support. Everyone has to play by the same rules.