Democrats, Republicans Protest Over Election Concerns in Major Cities, Portland Escalates to Riots

Emily Jones
11-05-2020

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Pro-Trump and Pro-Biden demonstrations took place in multiple major cities overnight as vote counting continues in battleground states and the official winner of the US election remains undecided.

Dozens of angry supporters of President Donald Trump rallied at vote centers in Michigan and Arizona Wednesday night after the AP reported the president lost both states to former vice president Joe Biden. The protests came after Trump argued on Wednesday that Democrats are trying to "steal the election" and filed lawsuits in various states over accusations of voter fraud.

"Stop the count!" Trump supporters chanted in Detroit, where allegations of voter fraud swarm. Earlier, Trump filed a bid to stop the counting and demanded Michigan's secretary of state allow in more inspectors.

Other pro-Trump protesters cried "Stop the steal!" in Phoenix.

Some pro-Trump protesters in Arizona expressed outrage after Fox News declared Biden the projected winner of their state. Vote-counting continued overnight in Maricopa county. By Thursday morning and with 88% of the expected vote counted, Biden's lead over Trump in Arizona had narrowed, but he still maintains his edge over the president by about two percentage points.

Several sheriff's deputies blocked the entrance to the vote-counting center and two Maricopa County officials – one a Democrat, and the other a Republican – issued a statement shooting down claims of fraud.

"Everyone should want all the votes to be counted, whether they were mailed or cast in person," said the statement signed by Clint Hickman, the GOP chair of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, and Democratic Supervisor Steve Gallardo. "An accurate vote takes time. ...This is evidence of democracy, not fraud."

Meanwhile, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and Philadelphia urging for all of the ballots to be counted.

In New York City, police said they arrested at least 20 individuals "who attempted to hijack a peaceful protest by lighting fires, throwing garbage and eggs in Manhattan."

In Portland, Oregon, a riot was declared after protesters smashed windows. Gov. Kate Brown called in the National Guard to help local law enforcement. Hundreds of protesters in Portland held signs calling on every vote to be counted.

"It's important to trust the process, and the system that has ensured free and fair elections in this country through the decades, even in times of great crisis," Brown said in a statement.

Election night saw no widespread unrest despite businesses across the country boarding up their buildings out of fear of nationwide violence.  As of Thursday morning, the latest results show Biden is winning in the race for the White House, but both candidates have claimed they are on the road to victory as votes in battleground states continue to be counted.

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About The Author

Emily
Jones

Emily Jones is a multi-media journalist for CBN News in Jerusalem. Before she moved to the Middle East in 2019, she spent years regularly traveling to the region to study the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, meet with government officials, and raise awareness about Christian persecution. During her college years, she served as president of Regent University's Christians United for Israel chapter and spoke alongside world leaders at numerous conferences and events. She is an active member of the Philos Project, an organization which seeks to promote positive Christian engagement with the Middle
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