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WASHINGTON (AP) – Throughout downtown Washington, the main sound from several blocks was the beep of forklifts unloading over fences.
There were no cars or scooters and apparently no tourists on Wednesday, just the occasional jogger and several construction crews at work. The US Capitol, which proved to be such a soft target last week, was only visible through lines of high black fence.
Two blocks from the White House, a group of uniformed National Guard soldiers emerged from a tour bus and made their way to a hotel as a state of lockdown descended on Washington that will last. until the inauguration of January 20. The number of National Guard troops coming to Washington to help law enforcement provide security has risen to around 26,000, officials said Thursday.
“It is clear that we are in uncharted waters,” said Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Last week’s “violent insurgency” on Capitol Hill by supporters of incumbent President Donald Trump has “had an impact on how we approach work with our federal partners in planning for the 59th inauguration,” Bowser said Wednesday .
The FBI has warned that armed protests by violent Trump supporters were scheduled in all 50 state capitals as well as Washington for the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Between the pandemic and the security threat, Bowser is adamantly asking people not to come to the District of Columbia for the inauguration. And at Bowser’s request, a special national security event declaration was moved to Jan. 13, a distinction she said “sets up an entirely different command and control structure” for security.
NSSE status is normal for a presidential inauguration and other major events like an international summit or the Super Bowl. But it’s rare to start lockdown so long before the event.
Police vehicles cordoned off a large swath of downtown DC on Wednesday, immediately causing traffic to roar. Starting Wednesday, Bowser said, anyone inside the dedication area could be arrested and questioned. Starting Friday, all parking garages in the downtown restricted area will be sealed until grand opening. Bowser is asking DC residents to avoid downtown entirely, and the city has announced that 13 subway stations inside the security perimeter will close for several days.
Bowser is also being pushed to deny accommodation options to potentially violent protesters. The local Black Lives Matter affiliate and Shutdown DC released a joint statement on Wednesday urging all downtown hotels to voluntarily close and pay their staff. Besides the threat of violence, activist groups say Trump supporters pose a threat to the health of hotel staff due to their widespread refusal to wear masks during the pandemic. Several downtown hotels, including one that had become a hangout for the militant Proud Boy faction, chose to avoid trouble by closing last week.
“Completely closing hotels for these six nights is the only way to ensure the safety of hotel employees, neighbors, vulnerable and unhoused residents, new administration officials, members of Congress and our community. democracy, “the statement read. “If the hotels don’t voluntarily close, we ask Mayor Bowser to extend today’s emergency order and close all hotels in town.”
On Wednesday, Airbnb announced it was canceling all bookings in the Washington metro area. Bowser said she has been in regular contact with Airbnb officials since last week, but did not specifically request this step.
“We are aware of reports emerging yesterday afternoon of armed militias and known hate groups attempting to travel and disrupt the inauguration,” a company statement said. “We are continuing our work to ensure that members of hate groups are not part of the Airbnb community.”
On the ground, much of the most visible security will come in the form of National Guard troops, including some armies. Pentagon officials have approved requests that some of them carry long guns or handguns, especially those assigned near the Capitol building. Officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss security details.
Members of the National Guard operate under strict rules of engagement on the use of force. But generally speaking, troops can use deadly force to protect the lives of others and themselves.
DC Police Chief Robert Contee estimated Wednesday that more than 20,000 members of the National Guard would be active in the city on the day of the inauguration. But officials said Thursday that number had risen to 26,000 based on additional demands from law enforcement.
As of Thursday, there are already around 7,000 in the city, with thousands more on the way. The length of their assignments may vary, but Defense Ministry officials were allowed to deploy the guard for up to 30 days for the inauguration and surrounding protests.
Officials say members of the 50 State Guard are deploying in the city, although each state is on alert for violent protests or attacks in its own capital.
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