San Francisco police preparing for pro-Trump protest at Twitter headquarters

San Francisco police are preparing for a potential pro-Trump demonstration at Twitter’s headquarters on Monday, fearing a possible retaliation after the social media company permanently shut down President Trump’s account.

Twitter permanently banned Trump’s account on Friday, citing “risk of further incitement of violence” following the deadly riot that took place at the Capitol on Wednesday.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that police have been in contact with company representatives and say they will have enough resources to respond if protesters do show up.

“While we respect people’s right to express their views, we’ve been transparent about the factors leading up to our decision last week” a Twitter spokesperson said in an email to the Chronicle. The spokesperson stressed that the company’s highest priority is the safety of its workers.

Police did not say if there is any indication of demonstrators coming in from outside the area, citing policy that prohibits them from discussing planning.

The Chronicle reports that posts on TheDonald.win, a right-wing forum created after r/The_Donald was banned from Reddit, advised people to bring megaphones and zip ties to “citizen arrest violent agitators.”

At least two of the men accused of illegally entering the Capitol last week were seen carrying zip ties.

Steven Weber, a political science professor at the University of California-Berkeley School of Information told the Chronicle that Trump has a better understanding of how to utilize technology than his opponents do.

“When the technology is a level playing field, anybody can use it. And it’s often the case that people who are the most ruthless will use it the most effectively,” Weber said.

The Capitol Police have been criticized by lawmakers and others who feel that their preparation and response to the planned event last Wednesday was insufficient. Capitol Police chief Steven Sund tendered his resignation last week.