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Closures of highways and subway lines, controls of vehicles, military trucks, fences and concrete blocks to surround the White House and the Capitol, and more than 25,000 soldiers.
Downtown 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 attack on the Capitol on January 6, in which 5 people died, led to increased security in the US capital and in particular at the National Mall, the complex that houses the most emblematic monuments city and where crowds tend to congregate.
Typically, authorities spend months preparing a comprehensive security plan for the presidential inauguration, which is usually a public holiday. But this year, the measures will be unheard of, given the threat of further attacks organized by far-right groups.
Access to large parts of the city has been restricted and the The secret services coordinate the security plan, as well as at least 20 security agencies and public security entities.
The authorities have decided to move the city 25,000 soldiers of the National Guard from at least six states and the District of Columbia, more troops than those currently deployed by the United States in foreign wars, the American press points out.
These forces will be added to more than 3,800 police officers from the Metropolitan Police and 2,200 from the Capitol Police, the body in the spotlight since the attack on the legislative seat, reports Reuters.
Authorities have declared a state of emergency in Washington DC, and the rest of the country’s territories also remain on high alert for the possibility of violent protests.
And is that the FBI warned of the possibility of marches led by followers of Trumparmados in state capitals across the country.
In the face of such alerts, some airlines, such as Delta and Alaska Airlines, have banned passengers heading to Washington DC from registering their weapons.
Agent Matt Miller, who leads security plans on behalf of the Secret Service, told reporters on Friday that he has been working on planning the dedication ceremony for about a year.
As proof of the tense situation in the capital, on Monday, the Capitol complex was briefly confined for a security alert and a rehearsal for Biden’s inauguration was suspended.
Police said they had taken this measure “as a precaution” after several witnesses claimed to have seen smoke near the complex, although shortly afterwards they claimed that there was no danger to them. the public.
The president-elect insisted on following the tradition of taking the oath in front of the Capitol, abroad, but the power transfer event very different than its predecessors.
Normally, the president-elect’s speech and his inauguration are usually watched live by thousands of people on the National Mall plaza, but security measures have forced this area to be closed.
Added to this are the restrictions due to the pandemic, which led to the granting of only 1,000 tickets for the ceremony, instead of the 200,000 that are usually provided.
The authorities are also working to prevent the possibility of an “inside” attack.
According to the US press, US defense officials say the federal government is investigating the 25,000 National Guard soldiers dedicated to providing security at the inauguration.
This additional precautionary measure responds to a growing concern on extremism within that body and comes after it was confirmed that various people who participated in the assault on Capitol Hill had military ties, reported The Washington Post.
In addition, on Sunday, the US Department of Justice reported the arrest of an official of New Mexico, Cuoy Griffin, on assault-related charges.
Griffin, founder of a group called “Cowboys for Trump” and who the prosecution said was part of the mob that attacked the Capitol but did not enter the building, He promised to come back armed.
“If we do, then it will be a sad day because blood will flow from this building,” he noted in a video posted to Facebook, according to an FBI document collected by Reuters.
It is this violence displayed by members of the Capitol mob that continues to alarm the country, and that which unfortunately marks the end of Trump’s presidency … and the start of Biden’s.
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