Andy Field ABC News - January 5, 2022 - KRDO’s Afternoon News

In an effort to be better prepared for scenarios in which future protests might grow violent, officials in the Biden Administration have conducted simulations and tabletop exercises, similar to war games, to analyze information sharing and law enforcement capabilities. One exercise was conducted in May out of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Virginia. In that simulation, a protest on the National Mall grew violent, and social media posts drew more people to join the conflict. The exercise featured reports of a pipe bomb, similar to the one found outside of DNC Headquarters on January 6th. In September, a weeklong virtual exercise run in McLean, Va., simulated a violent protest on the steps of the Supreme Court, and tested the ability of various federal, state and local law enforcement jurisdictions to work together in response.  In addition to those larger tests, the National Security Council has been holding weekly meetings in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies to discuss planned protests and other events. Officials in the meetings analyze threat reports and travel reservations to gauge crowd sizes.