The Capitol building in Washington, DC, was blocked off and placed on high alert on Thursday, according to multiple reports, following intelligence warnings of a possible plot to breach the building inspired by the QAnon conspiracy theory.
The National Guard continued to patrol at the US Capitol on March 4, 2021 in Washington, DC. The House of Representatives canceled votes today and extra security was added after talk surfaced online of possible violent protests. Some 5,000 National Guard members remain stationed on site and across the city.
Law enforcement was on high alert Thursday around the U.S. Capitol after intelligence uncovered a “possible plot” by a militia group to storm the building. Said potential plot is tied to the far-right conspiracy theory promoted by QAnon supporters that former President Donald Trump will rise again to power on March 4, the original presidential inauguration day.
QAnon is an umbrella term for a range of internet conspiracy theories with no basis in fact, as highlighted by news outlets across the world including the BBC, New York Times, BuzzFeed, CNN and Fox News, and fact-checkers such as Snopes.
This threat follows two months after the Capitol incursion that took place in January while Congress was tallying the electoral votes of the 2020 Presidential Election.
