US Presidential Election 2020 and Armed Militia Violence Threat

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A new report has indicated that at least 5 US States are at a High Risk of experiencing election-related armed violence from militia groups. A report also released by Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project and MilitiaWatch. It claims Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Oregon states are at high risk of experiencing violence from militia groups during the 2020 US Presidential Election. The report is titled “Standing By, Right-Wing Militia Groups and the US Election”. It is a reference to Donald Trump’s stand back and stands by which was viewed by many as an endorsement of far-right hate group, the Proud Boys. The report also claimed that militia activity would likely be in capital cities, peripheral towns, medium-population cities, and suburban areas with centralized zones.

North Carolina, Texas, California, Virginia, and New Mexico were all listed as states that were at moderate risk of armed militia violence. The report said, “Militia groups and other armed non-state actors pose a serious threat to the safety and security of American voters. Throughout the summer and leading up to the general election, these groups have become more assertive, with activities ranging from intervening in protests to organizing kidnapping plots targeting elected officials”. The report also warned that militia groups are preparing to position themselves as supplementary law enforcement agents by providing security at public events. A 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse shot and killed 2 protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin earlier this year.

Rittenhouse claimed he was affiliated with a militia and traveled to the protest in order to support police officers. He has been charged with two counts of murder. The report also named the country’s most active militias, including Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, Light Food Militia, Civilian Defense Force, American Contingency, Patriot Prayer, Boogaloo Bois, and People’s Rights. Point to be noted that ACLED and MilitiaWatch have tracked at least 80 militia groups (the majority of right-wing) since the beginning of the summer. The FBI broke up a Michigan militia’s plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer earlier this month. A spokesman for ACLED, Sam Jones said, “Still, these risks do not mean that violence is inevitable. Voters should not be intimidated”.