MSA Intel Alert: Update on Nationwide Protests 11.6.20

As results for the 2020 U.S. presidential elections remain unknown, nationwide civil unrest is expected to continue to occur in a number of populous U.S. cities, including but not limited to New York City (NYC), Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. According to reports, demonstrations were mostly peaceful last night, with the exception incidents in Phoenix and NYC.

In Phoenix, demonstrators from opposing sides protested at the Maricopa County Elections Department. Although the protest was mostly peaceful, fights broke out between the two opposing groups, but were quickly resolved by authorities.

In NYC, a peaceful protest in lower Manhattan quickly turned violent, resulting in numerous arrests and citations as protestors reportedly committed acts surrounding vandalism, assault, and arson. Over 50 people were charged with crimes, 25 of which were arrested. Of those arrested, three were charged with assaults against police officers. According to officials from the New York City Police Department (NYPD), officers also reportedly confiscated a number of items during protests last night, including knives, fireworks, flammable liquids, and a stun gun.

While demonstrations were mostly peaceful last night, any updates in the current status of the presidential elections are expected to lead to additional civil unrest, and as protests continue into the weekend, demonstrations are likely to increase dramatically in size. Despite many states and cities expecting there to be some form of civil unrest, there have been no reports of any city declaring a curfew as of yet; however, the situation remains fluid and details are subject to change. As uncertainty over election results will likely continue, authorities have prepared for additional planned demonstrations. The threat posed by outside or criminal actors taking advantage of the protest activity to advance their agenda remains high, and impromptu actions are possible.

Below, please find an updated list of known upcoming protests that will be occurring in major cities across the U.S. and Canada between today, Friday, November 6, and Sunday, November 15. The number of protests and locations of these events are expected to continue to increase throughout the week and into the weekend.

MSA Intel will continue to monitor nationwide protest activity and provide relevant updates.