US Capitol: Law enforcement on alert after warning of likely breach

The threat appears to be connected to a far-right conspiracy theory, mainly promoted by supporters of QAnon, that former president Trump will rise again to power on March 4 and that thousands will come to Washington, DC, to try to remove Democrats from office.

Law enforcement was on high alert on Thursday around the US Capitol after intelligence uncovered a “possible plot” by a militia group to storm the building again, two months after a mob of Donald Trump supporters smashed through windows and doors to try to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s poll victory.

US National Guard soldiers guard the grounds of the US Capitol from behind a security fence in Washington, DC, on January 9, 2021. - US Democrats on January 9 were readying for an unprecedented second impeachment of Donald Trump as the defiant US President showed no signs of stepping down after the deadly violence at the Capitol on January 6. (Photo by Daniel SLIM / AFP) (AFP)

The threat appears to be connected to a far-right conspiracy theory, mainly promoted by supporters of QAnon, that former president Trump will rise again to power on March 4 and that thousands will come to Washington, DC, to try to remove Democrats from office.

Online chatter identified by authorities included discussions among members of the Three Percenters, an anti-government militia group, concerning possible plots against the Capitol on Thursday, according to two law enforcement officials who were not authorised to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.