Protesters set American flags on fire as US election results roll in

Demonstrators in Washington, DC and Portland, Oregon could be seen setting American flags on fire in overnight demonstrations

As the results of Tuesday’s election continued to pour in, protesters in at least two states could be seen lighting American flags on fire in overnight demonstrations launched as polls closed across the country.

In Portland, Oregon, demonstrators could be seen watching an American flag burn as they gathered in front of the Multnomah County Justice Center in the early hours of Wednesday morning. 

Meanwhile, in Washington, DC, a U.S. flag burned just a few blocks from the White House late on Tuesday evening, as hundreds of demonstrators gathered, calling for “revolution” as the results of the US election results rolled in. 

In video posted to Twitter by journalist Brendan Gutenschwager, a demonstrator could be seen lighting the American flag on fire before walking away, joining a crowd of dozens of other protesters.

According to NBC News, demonstrations in DC continued into the early hours of the morning, with protests being largely peaceful. 

At least one skirmish occurred between police officers and protesters at around 5:15p.m., leading to one person’s arrest, while another scuffle between demonstrators could be seen breaking out outside the White House later on in the evening in video posted by Gutenschwager.

By around 3:15 a.m. in the morning, however, the journalist reported that only a handful of protesters and media remained near the White House as the election night wound down, easing fears of widespread unrest after polls closed. 

In the days leading up to Tuesday’s election, government officials and communities across the U.S. had been preparing for the possibility of major demonstrations as the election race came to a close. In Washington, D.C., police had created a wide security perimeter around the White House, where President Donald Trump hosted guests to watch the election results pour in. Anti-climb fencing was also erected around the executive mansion, while nearby streets were closed off.

A small group of protesters watch a burning American Flag as they gather in front of the Multnomah County Justice Center early in the morning on November 4, 2020 in Portland, Oregon, as the U.S. election results poured in. (Nathan Howard/Getty)

Businesses in Washington, DC and in New York City, meanwhile, had boarded up their windows over fears that the election results could prompt major demonstrations and potential violence. 

According to the Associated Press, demonstrations were held in a number of cities, including Minneapolis, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon. 

However, so far, U.S. streets have yet to see any major demonstrations in response to the election.

As of early Wednesday morning, incoming election results showed the race between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden to be tighter than expected. 

Mr Trump claimed to have won the election, while making a baseless fraud allegation, while Mr Biden had said earlier on that he was “on track” to win. 

With millions of votes yet to be counted, it is too early for either candidate to claim victory.