US Elections 2020: Protests reported across America as results awaited
Nov 05, 2020
Washington [US], November 5 : Protests erupted across the US as Americans are waiting anxiously for the results of the US Presidential elections with ballot counting in the final battleground states continue, with some demonstrators asking for every vote to be counted and others demanding a halt on counting.
According to the New York Times, in Portland, a "Count Every Vote" demonstration taking place in the city merged with another one focused on racial justice and police brutality.
Some demonstrators smashed storefront, windows in the downtown areas. The police labelled the incident a riot and swarmed in.
Meanwhile, in Minneapolis, hundreds of protesters blocked Interstate 94 and the police made arrests, with demonstrators taking to social media to say that the officers had "kettled," or trapped them there, to prevent them from dispersing.
On Wednesday night, tensions rose at a ballot-counting centre in Michigan's largest city Detroit, a critical reservoir of votes for Biden after multiple news outlets began declaring Biden Jr winner of Michigan.
President Trump's supporters and Democratic observers converged on the TCF Center to monitor poll workers as they tried to finish counting more than 170,000 absentee ballots.
Observers from both sides were not allowed to enter the ballot-counting center, because the groups had already reached the maximum number of challengers allowed inside.
The number of people trying to gain entry grew from five to more than 30, and the situation grew heated, with arguments breaking out between the challengers, elections officials and the Detroit police.
Americans cast their votes on November 3 to elect next president of the world oldest democracy.
As part of the New York Times tally, Joe Biden is edging towards a victory over incumbent President Donald Trump in the fierce battle of US Presidential elections with 253 projected Electoral College votes.
