Law enforcement officials are preparing for unrest over the Supreme Court’s anticipated reversal of Roe v. Wade. On Wednesday, more than 150 officials nationwide joined a call to discuss concerns about growing threats, including potential danger to Supreme Court justices, Politico reports. The call was hosted by the National Fusion Center Association, representing dozens of intelligence-sharing hubs. It included state and local law enforcement officials along with officials from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security. The officials’ concerns highlight how tense the climate has become as the national conversation about abortion rights reaches new intensity. The same fusion center association convened a similar call bracing for extremist threats a few days before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Participants in Wednesday’s call raised concerns that protesters could clash with counter-protesters or face attacks from lone extremists. They did not focus on the ideological views of people involved in violent attacks or First Amendment-protected protesting. They discussed the federal judiciary as a potential increasing target of violence. Federal judges have faced skyrocketing threats in recent years, and the Justice Department’s top watchdog has warned that the U.S. Marshals Service does not have the resources it needs to keep those judges safe. Officials discussed trends and patterns — including the possibility that adversarial foreign governments could capitalize on the national tension to fuel discord. SITE Intelligence Group — a private organization that shares threat information with a host of law enforcement agencies — released a report detailing calls for violence targeted at people protesting the expected ruling. “Users on far-right, pro-Trump forum ‘The Donald’ encouraged members to violently oppose pro-abortion protesters demonstrating against the leaked Supreme Court draft signaling an overturn of Roe v. Wade,” said the group.
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