The White House insists that all protests following Trump’s impeachment must be peaceful

(CNN) — The White House has said any protests following the impeachment of former President Donald Trump must be peaceful.

“The president has been very clear when it comes to Americans who want to protest: They must do so peacefully,” said press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. “That’s an incredibly important thing, the president keeps saying.”

Over the weekend, Trump took to social media to ask his supporters to continue protesting the potential impeachment. Law enforcement agencies are preparing to deal with possible prosecution scenarios, CNN previously reported.

Jean-Pierre said the White House is “always prepared” for the possibility of unrest, but declined to comment further on Trump’s legal situation, citing the ongoing investigation.

“The president (Biden) will continue to focus on what the American people need and their priorities,” he said. He also cited work to improve medical and social care and other programs.

For their part, officials in Washington DC are preparing for protests that could erupt if Trump is impeached, a district official told CNN on Monday.

If the chargesheet is filed, a coordination body called the Joint Information Center will be formed on Tuesday, the official said. Last time the Center was taken back for the State of the Union. It was created by 12 local agencies to coordinate and ensure residents and visitors are safe.

However, the official cautioned that so far, there are no signs or expectations of violent demonstrations, nor have requests for permission to demonstrate been received from the Metropolitan Police Department. The district is ready, the official said, noting that the center will be activated whenever emergency response is needed.

With reporting by CNN’s Alex Marquardt.