Dozens of protesters carrying American flags and guns surrounded the home of Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson over the weekend, chanting “Stop the Steal” and echoing President Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud.
The demonstration was meant to pressure the state’s Democratic chief election officer to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the state as Trump continues to publicly assail the results that were certified Nov. 23.
Michigan officials accused the protesters of “terrorizing” Benson’s family.
As the crowd arrived outside her doorstep Saturday night in Detroit, Benson said she had just finished hanging Christmas lights on her portico and was headed inside to watch “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” with her 4-year-old son, The Washington Post reported.
The crowd was angry and voices were shouting, according to a joint statement by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, who said “terrorizing children and families at their own homes is not activism.”
“They shouted baseless conspiracy theories about the election, and in videos uploaded to social media, at least one individual could be heard shouting ‘you’re murderers’ within earshot of her child’s bedroom,” the statement by the two Democrats read. “This mob-like behavior is an affront to basic morality and decency.”
One of the protesters livestreamed the demonstration on Facebook, according to the Post.
“She’s decided to completely ignore all of the credible, credible, fraudulent evidence that has been continually pointed out,” Genevieve Peters said about Benson. “We’re out here in front of the secretary of state’s house and we want her to know we will continue to be here.”
The protest eventually wrapped up with the crowd dispersing just before 10 p.m., the Post reported.
Police were called to the scene, but no arrests were made.
Republican and Democratic leaders in multiple states, including Georgia, have publicly condemned Trump’s rhetoric on the election and warned that his claims of fraud could endanger the lives of officials who have been threatened and harassed repeatedly since Biden won.
The controversy has been especially rife in Michigan, where Trump and his campaign have continued to challenge the election results that show Biden won with 50.62% of 2,804,040 votes cast. Biden’s final vote total surpassed Trump by more than 154,000, according to the Post.
GOP officials on the Wayne County Board of Canvassers initially refused to certify the results in Detroit. Days later, they reversed course and solidified Biden’s victory in the state.
Then came last week’s alleged election fraud testimony in front of a Michigan state House panel by Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani and a questionable witness, neither of whom presented any evidence of their claims.
“Through blatantly false press releases, purely political legislative hearings, bogus legal claims and so called ‘affidavits’ that fail to allege any clear or cogent evidence of wrongdoing, those unhappy with the results of this election have perpetuated an unprecedented, dangerous, egregious campaign to erode the public’s confidence in the results of one of the most secure, accessible and transparent elections in our state’s history,” Benson said in a statement Sunday.
Benson called Michigan’s election results “unequivocal.”
“The will of the people is clear,” she said. “And I will stand up every day in my job for all voters, even the votes of the protesters who banded together outside my home.”
On October 8, 13 men were charged in connection with a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as vigilante justice over continued coronavirus lockdown orders, authorities said.
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