On January 6, Congress convenes to confirm the election results certified and submitted by each state’s electors, normally a simple procedural, ceremonial process. And it should be in 2021 as well, as the Electoral College has already cast its votes and cemented President-Elect Joe Biden’s 306-232 win, in line with Biden’s win of the popular vote, in which he garnered seven million more votes than President Trump.
However, Trump stubbornly refuses to concede his election loss, muddying the whole affair and casting considerable doubt about what will happen on January 6. The president has also planned a day of ” wild protest ” opposite the congressional proceedings, encouraging his supporters to show up in D.C.
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When crowds of Trump supporters gathered en masse in the nation’s capital on December 12, 2020, things got violent.
Four people were stabbed during the protests, and the far-right group Proud Boys destroyed much Black Lives Matter property, including a banner displayed at a Black church.
Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, the group’s leader, was arrested on Monday for destruction of property for burning the banner, and he also faces charges of being in possession of firearm magazines, CNN reported.
Almost a month after the violent protest, D.C. locals are again bracing for trouble.
And preparations for the “wild protest” day include the shuttering of Hotel Harrington and adjoining restaurant Harry’s — both known to be frequented by the Proud Boys — for three days leading up to January 6. The 106-year-old hotel cited safety concerns in a statement explaining its decision to close ahead of the protests.
“Washington, D.C. has been our home for 106 years and we join with all of our guests, visitors, staff and neighbors in our concern and desire for everyone’s health and safety,” a statement read.
“While we cannot control what happens outside of the hotel, we are taking additional steps to protect the safety of our visitors, guests and employees.”
The hotel added that it would issue refunds for any pre-paid reservations affected by the closure.
Tarrio reportedly downplayed the effects of the closure on the Proud Boys, according to The Hill , suggesting that the group had grown to be too large for the Harrington or Harry’s. Reactions online suggested otherwise.
As The Daily Beast’s Will Sommer noted on Twitter , Proud Boys flooded Reddit’s r/thedonald community with angry posts decrying the Hotel Harrington’s closure.
Many apparently made good on threats to try to tank the hotel’s ratings with one-star reviews as well.
As Newsweek reported, Proud Boys left a series of one-star reviews on Google following the news of the closure as well as slamming the hotel on its Facebook page.
“No, I haven’t stayed there but the closing of the hotel to non-regular guests on January 4,5,6 2021 is a terrible way to treat those that were registered to stay there during this time period,” Newsweek reported one person as writing.
Hotel Harrington has since suspended its Facebook page.
