Road and subway line closures, vehicle controls, military trucks, fences and concrete blocks to surround the White House and Capitol, and more than 35. 000 troops.
The center Washington has since this week become a fortified area to avoid any incident before or during the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.
The violent assault on the Capitol on January 6, in which 5 people died, led to increased security in the US capital and especially the National Mall, the site that houses the most emblematic monuments of the city and where crowds are usually concentrated.
Normally, authorities spend months preparing a comprehensive security plan for the presidential inauguration, which is usually a public holiday ivities. But this year the measures will be unprecedented, given the threat of new attacks organized by far-right groups.
Access to large parts of the city has been restricted and the Service Secret is coordinating the security plan, together with at least 20 security agencies and public security entities .
The authorities decided to move the city 25. 06 National Guard troops from at least six states and the District of Columbia, a larger number of troops than currently deployed by the US in foreign wars, the press highlights American.
These forces will add up to more than 3. 800 Policemen of the Metropolitan Police and 2. 200 of the Capitol Police, the body in the spotlight from the attack on the legislative headquarters, reports Reuters.
- Clues about how the assault on the Capitol was not so spontaneous (and suspicions that there was help from within)
The authorities declared a state of emergency in Washington DC, and the rest of the country’s territories They also remain on alert to the possibility of violent protests.
And the FBI has warned of the possibility of marches led by Trump supporters armed in state capitols across the country.
Faced with these types of alerts, some airlines, such as o Delta and Alaska Airlines, have banned passengers flying to Washington DC from checking in weapons.
A year of preparations
Agent Matt Miller, who directs security plans on behalf of the Secret Service, noted to the press last Friday that they had been working on the planning for the investiture ceremony for about a year.
As evidence of the situation of tension in the capital, this Monday the Capitol complex was briefly confined by a security alert and a rehearsal of Biden’s inauguration was suspended.
The police assured that they took this measure “as a precaution” after that several witnesses claimed to have seen a cloud of smoke near the complex, although shortly after they stated that there was no danger to the public.
- Visual guide to the invasion of the US Congress by Trump supporters
The president-elect has insisted on complying with the tradition of swearing in office in front of the Capitol, abroad, but the event of the transfer of power will be very different from that of his predecessors.
Normally, the speech of the president-elect and his inauguration are usually witnessed live by thousands of people on the esplanade of the National Mall, but security measures have forced the closure of that area.
To this are added restrictions due to the pandemic, which has led to only 1 being granted. 000 Ceremony tickets , instead of the 139. 000 that are usually provided.
An “inside” attack
The authorities are also working to prevent the possibility of an “internal” attack.
According to the US press, US defense officials assure that the federal government investigates the 25. 06 National Guard troops dedicated to ensuring security during the inauguration.
This additional precautionary measure responds to a growing concern about extremism within this body and comes after it was confirmed that several people who participated in the assault on the Capitol had military ties, reported The Washington Pos t.
- “There are millions of people who believe that the assault on the Capitol had some justification”
In addition, on Sunday, the United States Department of Justice reported the arrest of an official from New Mexico, Cuoy Griffin, for charges related to the assault.
Griffin, founder of a group called “Cowboys for Trump” and who, according to the indictment, was part of the mob that attacked the Capitol but did not enter the building, promised to return armed.
“If we do it, then it will to be a sad day, because the blood will flow from that building, “he said in a video posted on Facebook, according to a docum FBI statement picked up by Reuters.
It is this violence shown by members of the Capitol mob that continues to alarm the country, and the one that will unfortunately mark the end of Trump’s presidency … and the beginning of Biden’s.
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