Texas: Capitol is evacuated - threat situation for politicians

Austin/Washington. Due to a threat to lawmakers, the Texas State Capitol in Austin was evacuated as a precautionary measure. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), there was a "credible threat" to lawmakers who planned to participate in a protest. The Capitol and the surrounding grounds were evacuated and temporarily closed in the early afternoon (local time).

The measure comes amid a tense security situation across the country: Tens of thousands of people are demonstrating in several states against President Donald Trump – because of his immigration policy and, in critics' view, his authoritarian leadership style. In the capital, Washington, the Republican is holding a large military parade on Saturday evening (local time) – to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army, which coincides with Trump's 79th birthday.

The protests are also overshadowed by a suspected politically motivated crime in the state of Minnesota: A Democratic congresswoman and her husband were shot and killed in their home, and another Democrat and his wife were seriously injured. The suspected perpetrator remains at large. Several planned anti-Trump demonstrations in Minnesota have been canceled for security reasons.

RND/dpa