Despite threats and concerns, Pa. Capitol is quiet as Biden is sworn in

All is quiet in Harrisburg Wednesday as Joe Biden is being sworn in as president hundreds of miles away in Washington, D.C.

Harrisburg police and members of the National Guard stoically stood guard this morning outside Pennsylvania’s Capitol, behind orange barricades set up as a precaution against rioters.

Although the FBI warned of a threat of armed protests at all 50 state capitols in the days leaving up to Inauguration Day, there have been no demonstrations or activity around Pennsylvania’s Capitol.

“We are very pleased that everything is peaceful so far,” said mayor Eric Papenfuse via a statement from the city.

Harrisburg police said they will continue patrolling the Capitol through this week.

“At this time, as you probably know, there is nothing going on at the Capitol. Hopefully things will continue that way,” said Harrisburg Sgt. Kyle Gautsch. “But officers will maintain a presence throughout the day to ensure everything remains peaceful. We feel the measures put in place were appropriate based on the unknown circumstances and potential disturbances that we faced.”

A small handful of people were standing along the bottom steps of the Capitol, some holding signs.

Saying he was never one to sit home and wish he’d done something differently, Matt Convery of Wallingford, Delaware County, came to Harrisburg holding a sign that said “Truth over lies” and “Democracy wins”.

“I just felt bad about two weeks ago. It sounded like there was gonna be mass protests everywhere and I don’t want that to be the only face out here,” he said. “It makes you sad”

David Jordan, of New Cumberland, said he was glad to see things going back to “democratic principles.”

“That should never happen again,” he said of the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol. “We should be better behaved.”

“I’m just so thrilled to have a woman vice president finally,” Jordan said. “Hopefully we’ll have a woman president soon”

Larry Shake, of Dauphin, wearing a Vietnam veterans hat and a gray bathrobe with the phrase “Impeach China Joe” spelled out in stickers on the back, said he came to Harrisburg today to voice his first amendment rights.

Shake said he thought both the cold weather and the police presence scared people away. “People want to protest, but don’t want to come out if there’s gonna be trouble,” he said.

Shake said he was protesting Biden, who he believes won the election illegally, with the help of media and big businesses.

”I think Trump will go down in history as one of the best presidents for the American public ever,” he said.

Jana Benscoter contributed to this article.

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