A massive crowd of protesters in Arizona claimed that the vote had been stolen from President Donald Trump.
Some of the protesters were armed and they gathered outside the counting center in Maricopa County, Phoenix on November 4. The supporters were gathered ahead of the release of new results in the Senate and presidential races.
Trump supporters keeping watch
The demonstration in Arizona is just one of many that is happening in the country, some about the election while some about racial inequality. In New York alone, 50 people were arrested in the middle of a demonstration, according to NBC.
In Maricopa, a crowd of 300 people changed "count the votes" and "Fox News sucks," after the Fox News declared Biden is leading in the state.
Also Read: Election Unrest: Protests Erupt as the US Awaits Election Results
According to CNBC, Arizona is too close to call. Joe Biden leads in the state with 50.5% to Trump's 48.1%, with 86% of the expected vote in, which is a difference of just under 70,000 votes. Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, is considered as the largest in the state and is very important in the presidential race.
Some workers at the vote center and members of the media were escorted by the police to their cars for safety. However, Sgt. Calbert Gillet, a spokesperson for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said that no arrest were made so far in the state.
Both Republican and Democrats were inside the election center as ballots were processed and counted, and the procedure was shown via livestream at all times.
The Republican chairman of Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, Clint Hickman, and Democratic supervisor Steve Gallardo, issued a joint statement and talked about their concern about the misinformation that was spread online regarding the integrity of the election process.
The statement read that everyone should want all of the votes to be counted, whether the votes were mailed-in or done in person. An accurate vote takes time to be counted, it is the evidence of democracy and not fraud.
On November 5, President Trump falsely claimed that he had won the race against Democratic nominee Joe Biden, even though there is no winner declared yet as millions of ballots were still being counted. Trump also made it clear that he will fight in court.
Protests around the country
Aside from the ongoing protest in Arizona, there are also protests happening in Los Angeles, California, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in Minneapolis, Minnesota and in San Diego, California. Both Trump and Biden supporters took their frustration to the streets.
In Portland, Oregon, the authorities declared a riot and Gov. Kate Brown called the National Guard for safety. Brown said in a statement that it is important to trust the process and that the system has ensured free and fair elections in American through the years, even in times of crisis.
Chuck Lovell, the Chief of Portland, said in a video message posted to Twitter that officers had witnessed widespread violent behavior, such as looting, smashing of ATM machines, destruction of property and shattering of windows to many private establishments.
Related Article: US Election Update: Five Key Battleground States Continue Counting Votes, Who is Winning?
