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On Wednesday, before President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris were inaugurated, the American capital was literally converted into a garrison city over the weekend due to the multiple reports of threats and armed violence received by security agencies over the past few weeks.
Along with thousands of local police personnel and those from other security agencies, over 25,000 National Guards have been deployed. With eight-foot-high iron barricades being erected, the area in and around Capitol Hill, a large portion of Pennsylvania Avenue, and the White House was made up of boundaries for the general public.
4,000 officers are deployed by US Marshals to Washington DC. Major parts of the majestic National Mall, usually thronged by thousands of people during the inauguration, have been closed off.
The whole city is on high alert as the authorities receive multiple reports of violent threats from different groups at the level of the incident that occurred on January 6—when hundreds of supporters of President Donald Trump stormed Capitol Hill, disrupted the constitutional process of certifying electoral college votes, and forced hundreds of lawmakers to take shelter in safe locations And the vandalization of the historic building. At least five people were killed in a shameful incident.
In addition to converting downtown Washington DC into a fortress, security has also been put on high alert in and around State Capitols as security officials are gearing up to prevent an event like January 6 and ensure a peaceful transition of power.
I believe that this is going to be an inauguration unlike any other. In view of COVID concerns and some of the limited seating and public access, it was already destined to be. But it certainly warrants increased security to have our fellow Americans storm the Capitol in an attempt to overthrow the government,” Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser told NBC News in an interview.
“Our police department works with our federal law enforcement partners, and if we have any attacks in our neighbourhoods, the United States Army also has a plan to pivot,” she said.
We never thought that so-called patriots were going to try to overthrow their government and kill police officers. That’s what happened, exactly. So, I think we need to take another stance in our city that is more focused on domestic terrorists than outside our country and act accordingly. We don’t want fences to be seen. We definitely don’t want our streets to see armed troops. But we do have a different stance to take,’ said Bowser.
In its internal bulletins, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has warned of the potential for violence in Washington DC and all 50 state capitals. In an interview, incoming White House Chief of Staff Ron Klein told CNN, “We are concerned, certainly, about these threats elsewhere.”
I believe that the Secret Service and all its assets, with the help of the National Guard, will keep the inauguration safe and the official ceremonies safe in Washington. But these wider threats are concerning,’ said Klein.
On January 6, he said the president was inciting the mob, and that was “very, very disconcerting”
