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WILKES-BARRE &mdash; About 200 local residents have journeyed to Washington, D.C., to take part in what they hope is a peaceful protest of today&rsquo;s election certification in Congress.
				Frank Scavo, of Old Forge, said he helped organize the trip that has four buses filled with supporters of President Donald Trump who want to see the presidential election overturned.
				&ldquo;We are here to see history being made,&rdquo; Scavo said. &ldquo;We have never seen America at such a crossroads. We&rsquo;re concerned about the voting system and the electoral college.&rdquo;
				Scavo said there could be millions of people in the nation&rsquo;s capital today to voice there opposition to the certification of Democrat Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States.
				&ldquo;We also want to see how all of these senators and congressmen vote today,&rdquo; Scavo said. &ldquo;Will they follow constitutional law? We want to let it play out as long as they follow the rules as stated during the election.&rdquo;
				Scavo, who said the local attendees range in age, with many being senior citizens, some who need assistance like walkers to ambulate.
				Scavo said the group is not looking for confrontation, but he added that he expects the protesters will be harassed, and he is hopeful that there will be protection provided.
				Scavo said Pennsylvania is the group&rsquo;s main concern. He said post-election rulings by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar were in violation of the state&rsquo;s legislature.
				&ldquo;We are not saying this will change the election,&rdquo; Scavo said. &ldquo;We want to assure elections are conducted properly. And we intend to take appropriate action in the future regarding candidates. We want to be part of the solution.&rdquo;
				Scavo said he doesn&rsquo;t expect the Trump supporters to seek violence. He said he is hopeful the day will go on without incident.
				&ldquo;This is America,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Why can&rsquo;t we take a bus ride down to our nation&rsquo;s capital to witness history and be a part of this without incident.&rdquo;
				Democratic chair comments
				Kathy Bozinski, chair of the Luzerne County Democratic Party, said the voters have spoken in the 2020 election.
				&ldquo;States have certified the election and so has the Electoral College,&rdquo; Bozinski said. &ldquo;All indications are that despite some attempts at obstruction, at the end of the day so will the Congress. Joe Biden will be our 46th President.&rdquo;
				Bozinski said is Scavo and his group don&rsquo;t like the election outcome and want to protest, that is their right.
				&ldquo;I just hope they will be masked, maintain social distancing and follow all CDC guidelines regarding group settings,&rdquo; Bozinski said. &ldquo;The pandemic continues to rage and I&rsquo;d hate to see someone in his group become ill, or carry even more of the coronavirus back to Northeastern Pennsylvania.&rdquo;
				Regarding COVID concerns, Scavo had this to say.
				&ldquo;Musket balls in 1776 were much more threatening than the airborne coronavirus.&rdquo;
				On scene
				The Associated Press reported that as Congress prepared to affirm Biden&rsquo;s victory, thousands of people lined up before sunrise Wednesday to show their support for Trump and his baseless claims of election fraud.
				Trump was expected to address his supporters later in the morning during a rally on the Ellipse, just south of the White House.
				Organizers planned an afternoon march to the Capitol, where Congress will be voting to affirm the Electoral College results, which Trump continues to dispute.
				Trump tweeted his support for the protesters: &ldquo;Washington is being inundated with people who don&rsquo;t want to see an election victory stolen by emboldened Radical Left Democrats. Our Country has had enough, they won&rsquo;t take it anymore! We hear you (and love you) from the Oval Office.&rdquo;
				The Associated Press reported that the rallies had local officials and law enforcement bracing for potential violent street clashes. Many businesses in downtown Washington boarded up their windows, fearful that the protest could devolve into the unrest seen in May and June when dozens of businesses were vandalized.
				District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser called in National Guard troops to help bolster the city&rsquo;s police force. She urged residents to stay away from downtown Washington and to avoid confrontations with anyone who is &ldquo;looking for a fight.&rdquo; But, she warned, &ldquo;we will not allow people to incite violence, intimidate our residents or cause destruction in our city.&rdquo;

200 locals in Washington today to protest election certification