The message from city, county and community leaders was clear Friday: Stay away from Downtown on Sunday as the city prepares for armed demonstrators at the Statehouse.
"In the coming days, we will not allow hate, violence and destruction to be part of our city," Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther said Friday during a media event on the City Hall campus Downtown.
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Officials are worried that tensions could escalate if protesters supporting now-impeached President Donald J. Trump clash with counterprotesters. Groups skirmished at the Statehouse on Jan. 6.
"What hate groups want is confrontation," Ginther said. "Let's not give into them."
Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin said: "We can't give these folks the oxygen, because it just feeds the hate."
"Stay home and stay away from the foolishness," he said.
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Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan said that law enforcement has plans in place through the weekend and Inauguration Day for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Wednesday.
He asked people to avoid Downtown from Sunday through Wednesday.
"Police will be highly visible," Quinlan said. He said police will wear body cameras that will help to identify lawbreakers. "There will be no tolerance for illegal activities, property destruction," he said.
Columbus police plans to send hundreds of officers to the Capitol Square area and other parts of Downtown on Sunday. Hundreds of Ohio National Guard members will also be Downtown to help State Highway Patrol troopers at the Statehouse and Columbus police.
"We're planning for a worst-care scenario," Ginther said.
Ginther said that the following buildings on the City Hall campus will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday: City Hall, 90 W. Broad St.; 77 N. Front St.; Michael B. Coleman Government Center, 111 N. Front St.; and the Beacon Building, 50 W. Gay St.
Gov. Mike DeWine already announced that all state buildings Downtown will be closed from Sunday through Wednesday. Franklin County Commissioner Kevin Boyce said Friday that he expects county buildings Downtown to be closed at least on Wednesday.
Ginther said there are no plans to remove trash cans and mailboxes from the Downtown area.
U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from the Columbus area, said it's about being safe. Beatty was at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 when it was stormed by a pro-Trump rioters, a day she said white supremacy was on display.
"This was a riotous mob, thugs," Beatty said. "We stand for safety. We stand for protection. We stand for justice," she said.
Meanwhile, DeWine on Friday authorized the activation of more Ohio National Guard members to go to Washington, D.C., for the days leading to the presidential inauguration. This brings the total of Ohio National Guard members activated to help federal authorities to 1,000 soldiers and airmen.
The activation follows a request from the U.S. National Guard Bureau on Thursday for extra support. Ohio has more than 16,000 Guard members.
Ginther said if people see something suspicious they can call the Columbus police non-emergency line at 614-645-4545 or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at 877-647-4683. The police emergency line of course is 911.
mferench@dispatch.com
@MarkFerenchik
