Editorial Assistance from Cory Clark
On January 4, 2021, one of the world’s largest security companies, G4S, published an intelligence report detailing the potential risks to Washington, DC, leading up to inauguration. In the report titled “January 2021 Washington, DC, Security Outlook,” G4S warns specifically about the security threats to the United States Capitol on January 6.
Pictures of online discussion boards, statistics on right wing militia groups, and links to far right websites fill this 11-page intelligence briefing.
The first page of this report displays a graphic containing a tweet from President Trump dated December 19, urging supporters to come to Washington on January 6.
On the fifth page of the report, under the header “Civil Unrest,” it warns: “Protests are expected particularly at and near the Washington Monument, Freedom Plaza and the Capitol Building. Additionally, large numbers of Trump supporters are expected to be staying at nearby hotels, including particularly the JW Marriott, Hotel Harrington and Trump International Hotel. Caravans are being organized to bring protestors from across the country to DC for this event.”
The G4S report goes on to name that “the III%ers [Three Percenters], Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and white supremacists” confirmed their attendance, going so far as to note: “The Proud Boys have announced that they plan on wearing all black to blend in with antifa supporters.”
The report anticipated that Trump supporters would be staying at hotels throughout the nation’s capital from January 6 to January 20, making this time particularly dangerous. “G4S assesses that isolated violence is very likely, and that there is a potential for more widespread violence, particularly on the aforementioned dates of Jan. 6, Jan. 20 and Saturdays.”
On January 6, Trump supporters successfully breached the U.S. Capitol and broke into the Chambers of Congress. The protests G4S warned about grew into a mob and successfully delayed the certification of the Electoral College votes. The G4S report specifically highlights “the Electoral College Vote Count” as an event that could “escalate or mitigate threat.”
“There were very few police, but the police who were there put up a fight,” said John Farina, a journalist for the independent news outlet “Status Coup” who was in the Capitol. “The failure was from the top down.”
G4S has a number of contracts with American clients including the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In December 2020, G4S agreed to a purchase bid by security giant Allied Universal for $5.1 billion in a move to merge the companies. Both companies have an extensive history of working with the United States government.
Grid has reached out to G4S for a comment, but they are yet to respond.
