No armed protest in sight for Lansing today

MONDAY, April 20 — A Facebook announcement of an armed protest in Lansing today against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s emergency shutdown order appears to have been a fake.

The announcement showed up on Facebook over the weekend saying it was from the Michigan Militia. Facebook deleted the post, but others had already shared it on Facebook and elsewhere.

Sunday night, groups associated with the Michigan Militia said they had no knowledge of the protest and that they did not plan to participate.

Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said today the city was monitoring the situation.

Schor said the city was hearing that efforts were afoot to organize “Gridlock 2.0” protests on Wednesday and again April 30, the day the governor’s order is due to expire.

Schor stepped up contingency plans for policing protests after thousands of demonstrators clogged city streets in their cars and congregated on the Capitol lawn Wednesday in what they called “Operation Gridlock.”