The Texas Department of Public Safety closed the grounds of the state Capitol on Wednesday as Trump supporters gathered to protest the certification of Joe Biden's presidential election.
A spokesperson for DPS told KUT the grounds were closed "out of an abundance of caution," after pro-Trump extremists stormed the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.
"While we do not discuss operational details, DPS will continue to adjust our operations as needed to maintain public order and address potential threats," the agency said.
More than 200 Trump supporters continued to demonstrate outside the Capitol gates in Austin, with a cavalcade of vehicles honking in support and waving pro-Trump flags.
The largely peaceful event unfolded as extremists breached the U.S. Capitol. Demonstrators in the crowd outside the south gates checked their phones for updates in between chanting pro-Trump slogans and waving flags along 11th Street.
As the wind whipped down the street and horns blared, Sabrina Outlaw waved an American flag. She said she didn't necessarily support what was happening in D.C., but she was at the state Capitol because of her mistrust in the U.S. election infrastructure.
"I don't support violence, but I feel like, what do we do at this point? I know people are frustrated, and they're like, 'Vote people out!' But how are you going to do that if the voting mechanism is corrupt?" she said. "So, yes, I understand I believe we should be voting people out if they're not in our best interest, but how do you do that when the whole system is corrupt?"
