As protests continued for a second night in several main cities during the jumpy wait for election results, many appeared to appear heavily armed and ready for violence amid a background of boarded-up buildings.
In New York, the NYPD said officers who detained dozens during violent anti-cop protests in the West Village also recovered a Taser, two knives and M80 firecrackers.
“This is not a tool of a peaceful protest,” the force said alongside an image of a confiscated Taser with “police” written on it.
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But the most disturbing confiscation came in Portland as the National Guard was called in for the first time during a riot involving at least 600 people.
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The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office shared photos of weapons confiscated from a man who was caught for supposedly launching a Molotov Cocktail at officers — including a high-powered AR-15-style rifle with a full magazine of ammo.
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“They also recovered multiple additional magazines, an improvised explosive device, a knife and spray paint cans,” said Chris Liedle, a spokesman for the Unified Command of local law enforcement in a 9 p.m. video update.
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“The man was wearing a tactical vest with ballistic plates,” he added. The force also posted images of other weapons taken, including commercial-grade fireworks and hammers.
He was not immediately identified, and it was not clear which protest group he was in. The weapon had a “Dead Tyrant Society” sticker, which investigative reporter Robert Evans called a “veteran-owned lifestyle brand for gun lovers” that suggested he “appeared to be more on the Boogaloo end of things than anywhere else.”
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Other weapons were confiscated in separate protests, including in Denver where police arrested four people on weapons violations. Officers found a handgun, knife, hammer and bear spray during the arrests, the station said.
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As of Wednesday evening, the National Guard stayed active and on standby in at least 10 states for possible civil unrest in the wake of the hotly disputed 2020 presidential election. Most of the states were not forthcoming about the size of their activations, though Military Times has counted at least 2,600 troops activated between Alabama, Arizona, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.
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This count does not include states that may have personnel still on state active duty to process ballots or shore up cybersecurity.
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Before election night, there was a concern of broad unrest over what has been an especially hostile and divisive presidential election. As of Wednesday evening, that feared unrest has not grown beyond scattered protests and rioting in Portland. Dealing with civil unrest became a mission all too familiar for Guard troops in the wake of national unrest sparked when a white Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, by kneeling on his neck in May.
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