There was a heavy police presence in downtown Raleigh Sunday in anticipation of possible armed right-wing extremists protesting outside the capitol, but things remained quiet through the early afternoon.
Any protesters that may have arrived kept a low profile, outnumbered by members of the press and the Capitol Police.
When the INDY arrived downtown at about 11:00 a.m., police had begun setting up barricades around Salisbury Street in front of the Sheriff’s Department and Wake County Courthouse. Up the street at the capitol, dozens of heavily armed officers were scattered around the building, and more patroled the area in unmarked cars.
A group of five potential protesters were spotted near the state’s records center and appeared to be eating snacks before dispersing.
By 2:00 p.m. there was still no action of note, aside from typical dog walkers and joggers downtown. The cops paced the intersection of Salisbury Street with zip-tie cuffs and “less lethal” weapons.
We’ll update this story if anything changes.
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