Capitol buildings in multiple states were shut down or security around them was bolstered Wednesday in response to protests and chaos on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Precautionary measures were taken in Georgia, Texas, New Mexico, Wyoming, Utah, Kansas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wisconsin, Colorado and California.
Meanwhile, rioters invaded Congress, roaming Senate halls and occupying lawmakers' offices, escalating from protests over the Electoral College vote affirming President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the November election.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger — a Republican who recently earned the ire of the president — and senior members of his staff were evacuated from the state Capitol building Wednesday.
Meanwhile, New Mexico, Wyoming, Utah and Texas closed their state legislative buildings and, in some cases evacuated the employees, as demonstrations grew in support of President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly made baseless claims challenging the legitimacy of the election results.
The Capitol grounds in Austin, Texas, were closed to the public Wednesday afternoon “out of an abundance of caution,” the Department of Public Safety said in a statement.“While we do not discuss operational details, DPS will continue to adjust our operations as needed to maintain public order and address potential threats,” authorities said.
A group gathered outside the Texas Capitol building earlier Wednesday, according to the local media outlet KVUE. State Attorney General Ken Paxton warned that anyone protesting in Austin or Washington, D.C., “should practice their constitutional rights in a peaceful manner.”
“I stand for election integrity and the democratic process,” he tweeted. “I will not tolerate violence and civil disorder.”
Protesters in Kansas entered the state Capitol building, Tom Day, the director of legislative administrative services said, but they were allowed to stay and remained peaceful as of the late afternoon.
Demonstrators also gathered outside the legislative buildings in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Phoenix; Madison, Wisconsin; Denver; Sacramento, California; and Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Governors across the country called for peace in their states and in Washington.
In Michigan, several hundred protesters wielded guns and carried "Stop the Steal" signs, The Detroit Free Press reported, but they did not storm the Capitol building or force an evacuation. The building was closed Wednesday.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol said about 200 people gathered outside of the Capitol in Cheyenne but remained "very peaceful." Protesters dispersed in the early afternoon, a spokesperson said.
Two lawmakers in Tennessee held a prayer rally, denouncing Biden's win.
“We need to be praying for the truth to be revealed,” state Sen. Mark Pody, a Republican, told the crowd in Nashville, according to The Associated Press.
State Rep. Bruce Griffey, also a Republican, said that he hoped Vice President Mike Pence could somehow prevent the certification of Biden becoming president.
“But if he doesn't, it doesn't matter. God is in control," Griffey said before leading the crowd in chanting: “We love Trump! We love Trump!"
Protesters in Harrisburg also remained largely peaceful on the sidewalk as they had not obtained a permit to be on the steps, according to state officials.
In Sacramento, police reported physical altercations between two groups of demonstrators before they were separated.
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