More than a dozen demonstrations were planned Thursday in cities across the U.S. for a third day as a handful of battleground states that were expected to determine the outcome of the 2020 presidential election continued to count ballots.
Dozens gathered outside the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon, where votes were still being counted. Supporters of President Donald Trump in MAGA apparel waved Trump flags and faced off with supporters of Vice President Joe Biden, who chanted "count every vote."
Pennsylvania elections officials have not yet tabulated all of the mail-in ballots cast in the state, many from counties that have favored Biden. Trump's lead in Pennsylvania has narrowed to less than 2 percentage points. His campaign on Thursday filed legal challenges in the state.
Protests have been ongoing since Election Day. On Wednesday night, hundreds of peaceful protesters turned out in Chicago, Philadelphia and New York City – with smaller groups in Baltimore and Pittsburgh – to demand that election officials "count every vote." Trump supporters gathered outside a Las Vegas election center, chanting "stop the steal," while others in Phoenix gathered to demand election workers keep counting ballots.
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In Detroit, a chaotic scene erupted outside the vote tally room at TCF Center as election officials informed dozens of challengers that they could not reenter the room due to it being over-capacity. People gathered outside the ballot counting area pounded on the doors and windows, shouting, "Let us in" and "Stop the count." Police had to push back crowds as they argued to be allowed in the vote-counting arena.
Tensions ran high in several other cities, and dozens of people were arrested Wednesday night. Here's a brief look:
In Minneapolis: Minnesota State Patrol and the Minneapolis Police Department arrested protesters Wednesday after they marched to Interstate 94 and blocked traffic, police announced on Twitter.
In Denver: Police arrested four demonstrators after receiving reports of vandalism, including broken windows and the painting of graffiti, downtown.
In Seattle: Police arrested seven people during demonstrations on the city's Capitol Hill Wednesday evening, including a 30-year-old who was taken to the hospital after experiencing a medical episode during an arrest, police said.
Protect the Results, a coalition of more than 165 grassroots organizations, advocacy groups and labor unions led by activist groups Indivisible and Stand Up America, said Thursday that it would not be activating its entire national mobilization network but "remains ready to activate if necessary."
"Now, we must be patient and wait as election officials continue to count those ballots," the organization said in a statement Thursday. "The American people will decide who our next President will be, not Donald Trump."
But local partners of Protect the Results had protests planned in more than a dozen cities Thursday.
Contributing: Tom Vanden Brook, N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Jordan Culver and Chris Woodyard
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Election protests: Trump, Biden demonstrations planned Thursday