Americans planning to protest the results of the US election have been warned of “f**king around and finding out” by authorities as polls opened earlier today.
A district attorney in crucial swing state Pennsylvania scolded would-be protesters planning any January 6-style chaos as he urged them not to “play militia” – with fears rising over violence at the polls amid arrests and bomb threats.
Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner said: “Anybody who thinks it’s time to play militia: F*** around and find out.”
One poll worker was arrested on November 4 for sending a bomb threat to election staff, while voting was suspended altogether later on in fellow swing state Georgia.
Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner said: ‘Anybody who thinks it’s time to play militia: F*** around and find out’
REUTERS
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Krasner continued: “I want people to be reassured that… everybody in this city is working and has been working for months to make sure that there will be nothing tough about that experience and nothing to fear in that experience.
“Anybody who thinks it’s time to insult, to deride, to mistreat, to threaten people: F*** around and find out.
“We do have the cuffs, we do have the jail cells, we do have the Philly juries and we have the state prisons.”
On Tuesday morning, attorney generals across the US urged the public and officials alike to commit to a “peaceful transfer of power”.
MORE AS THE US ELECTION COMES TO A CLOSE:
Attorney generals across the US urged the public and officials alike to commit to a ‘peaceful transfer of power’
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In an open letter, the leading lawyers – from 47 of the US’s 50 states – wrote: “We call upon every American to vote, participate in civil discourse and, above all, respect the integrity of the democratic process.
“Violence has no place in the democratic process; we will exercise our authority to enforce the law against any illegal acts that threaten it.”
The poll worker in Georgia was arrested on Monday – and has been charged with posting a bomb threat to election workers, the US Department of Justice said.
Nicholas Wimbish, 25, is accused of making the bomb threat after he sent a letter to the Jones County elections superintendent with an ominous warning inside.
DA Larry Krasner scolded would-be protesters planning any January 6-style chaos
REUTERS
His note was signed off with the words: “PS boom toy in early vote place, cigar burning, be safe,” the DOJ alleged.
He is also said to have threatened election officials, telling them to “look over their shoulder” as he had “found home voting addresses for all them”.
That followed the chilling news that an Afghan national plotting a “violent attack in the name of Isis” was arrested by the FBI back in early October.
The Afghan had plotted a violent assault on US citizens heading to the polls, and had allegedly checked out surveillance cameras and live webcam footage of Washington DC landmarks like the White House and the Washington Monument.