The United States government has deployed 10,000 National Guard members to the US Capitol building in Washington DC.
Fences have been set up around the building, the seat of the US Congress, to keep out any potential rioters.
A protective ring has also been thrown around the nearby Treasury Building and a residential area where Democrat candidate Kamala Harris lives.
The security operation comes days after Democratic congressman Steve Cohen said “there may be blood” if Harris was to claim victory in the US presidential election.
Neighbouring businesses have also set up barricades and boarded up their windows in anticipation of street violence.
Police officers have been placed in strategic locations around Washington, as a precaution to possible unrest in the area.
The National Guard can only be activated for a national security event, overseas military operations and the enforcement of federal law.
On January 6, 2021, the US Capitol building was attacked by a heavily armed mob of supporters of then president Donald Trump, two months after his defeat in the 2020 presidential election.
Eight hundred National Guard members were called from five states to Washington to assist with the riots.
A total of 1,280 rioters were arrested and 796 people were charged.
Yesterday, a man was arrested outside the US Capitol building with a flare gun and a torch lighter.
Main image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.