San Francisco police bracing for pro-Trump protest at Twitter HQ after president's accounts shuttered

In the wake of the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol by far-right extremists who believe Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election due to election fraud, San Francisco police authorities are bracing for a protest at Twitter's headquarters by equally angry fans of the president who are furious at the shuttering of his Twitter accounts, reports local news outlet KPIX.

On Friday night, Twitter closed multiple accounts the president had access to over fears that he might incite more of the violence that led to the storming of the U.S. Capitol, which resulted in five deaths.

Twitter issued a statement that said: "In the context of horrific events this week, we made it clear on Wednesday that additional violations of the Twitter Rules would potentially result in this very course of action. Our public interest framework exists to enable the public to hear from elected officials and world leaders directly. It is built on a principle that the people have a right to hold power to account in the open. However, we made it clear going back years that these accounts are not above our rules entirely and cannot use Twitter to incite violence, among other things."

Taking notice of the events in Washington, D.C., where Capitol police were outnumbered by thousands of angry protesters, police in San Francisco have already made plans.

"SFPD has been in contact with representatives from Twitter," spokesperson Adam Lobsinger said. "We will have sufficient resources available to respond to any demonstrations as well as calls for service citywide…The San Francisco Police Department is committed to facilitating the public's right to First Amendment expressions of free speech. We ask that everyone exercising their First Amendment rights be considerate, respectful, and mindful of the safety of others."

The report notes that the SFPD has also been in contact with nearby law enforcement agencies should they need reinforcements.

Anger at Twitter grew over the weekend as conservatives claimed they were losing followers while also falsely stating the president was being denied his First Amendment rights to free speech.

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