LANSING — A police helicopter patrolled the sky over downtown Lansing on Sunday morning, its low hum foreshadowing what federal security agencies warned could turn into a dangerous scene.
Boards covered windows of businesses and government buildings below. Police were out in droves, joined by a procession of Michigan National Guard humvees. A 6-foot fence surrounded the Michigan Capitol, a message declaring the building would not be overtaken like the U.S. Capitol days before.
Lansing was prepared for chaos that did not materialize.
Few protesters gathered outside the Capitol on Sunday, the day the FBI warned armed protests would take place in capital cities. Many Americans remain on edge after the insurrectionist riot in Washington, and Lansing was of special concern because of Michigan's history with militia-style activity and because President Donald Trump and his supporters have wrongly accused state officials of mishandling the November election.