Dozens of armed protesters showed up at the home of Michigan's top election official angrily shouting about the election results and allegations of fraud.
The protesters showed up at Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s home on Saturday night. They claimed Benson was complicit in an attempt to subvert the will of the state by certificating President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Part of the protest was captured and broadcast in a Facebook live video.
"We are over here in the fricking dead of night, man," said Genevieve Peters, who posted the live video, as she walked to Benson's residence. "We are letting her know that we're not taking this bullshit election, we are not standing down, we are not giving up. You are not going to take this election from a man that has earned it completely 100% by a freaking landslide. Let me tell you: This ain't over."
“Dozens of armed individuals” showed up to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s home last night, shouting “Stop The Steal!” pic.twitter.com/rZhPK5hbsv
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) December 7, 2020
The group of people also chanted, "Stop the steal" and "We want an audit," the former of which has become a rallying cry for President Trump and his supporters who have alleged that the president has actually won the election, despite the opposite being true. Biden won the state of Michigan by more than 150,000 votes.
Benson said in a statement that she and her four-year-old son had finished decorating their home for Christmas and were about to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas when the “armed individuals stood outside my home shouting obscenities and chanting into bullhorns in the dark of night."
"I have always been an energetic advocate for the right and importance of peaceful protest as enshrined in the United States Constitution, however there is a line crossed when gatherings are done with the primary purpose of intimidation of public officials who are carrying out the oath of office they solemnly took as elected officials," she added.
The protest remained peaceful, and patrol units from the Detroit Police Department and Michigan State Police showed up as well. MSP Lt. Mike Shaw said, “It was just a small event, and nothing came of it,” but Attorney General Dana Nessel and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy issued a statement condemning the protests as “mob-like behavior," according to the Detroit Free Press.
Benson drew a direct connection between the protesters and those, such as the president, who claim that Trump both legitimately won the election and that it was stolen from him.
"Through blatantly false press releases, purely political legislative hearings, bogus legal claims and so-called 'affidavits' that fail to allege any clear or cogent evidence of wrongdoing, those unhappy with the results of this election have perpetuated an unprecedented, dangerous, egregious campaign to erode the public’s confidence in the results of one of the most secure, accessible and transparent elections in our state’s history."
"The demands made outside my home were unambiguous, loud and threatening. They targeted me in my role as Michigan’s Chief Election Officer. But the threats of those gathered weren’t actually aimed at me — or any other elected officials in this state. They were aimed at the voters," she said.
Biden won the election with 306 Electoral College votes compared to Trump's 232, although electors will not cast their votes until next Monday.
While Trump has yet to concede to Biden, and his campaign's legal moves have largely been unsuccessful in the courtroom, it appears the campaign's next move is looking to convince GOP-led state legislatures in battleground states such as Pennsylvania to select electors who would cast their Electoral College votes for the president because of a flawed popular vote that fell in Biden's favor.