Virginia is sending the state’s National Guard and 200 state troopers to help quell a violent uprising in Washington D.C., where armed extremist supporters of President Donald Trump have attempted to interrupt the certification of President-elect Joe Biden.
Gov. Ralph Northam said on TwitterWednesday that he was working with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the country’s Democratic leadership to deploy the state’s armed forces in the nation’s capital.
Earlier, Northam was asked during a COVID-19 press conference if the protests that preceded the insurrection could be considered “super spreader” events:
“It’s very disappointing what is going on right now at our nation’s capital,” Northam said. “Absolutely, when people are out and not using their distancing, not using masks, obviously it can contribute to more spread of this virus. I would also make the point that I have been in touch with the Mayor of Washington. Obviously, we have our National Guard here in Virginia, and if there is anything we can do to support her in that mission, we will certainly do that.”
In a follow-up statement over email, Northam’s office said: “for operational security reasons, we will not release details on the number of personnel, staging locations or timelines.”
In D.C., Bowser called for a 6 p.m. curfewin response to the violence. The curfew is active until 6 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 7.
