The large crowds normally a part of the ceremony won’t fill the National Mall. It’s locked down like so much in the nation’s capital right now.
A fence now stretches around the core of D.C. A weekend inauguration rehearsal was postponed due to “security concerns” but officials are confident Wednesday’s ceremony will go on despite continuing threats of violence.
The build-up of troops in Washington continues with more than 15,000 soldiers now posted around the Capitol and across the city with another 10,000 expected before Wednesday’s inauguration.
Tennessee National Guard Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Shubert said, “It’s a deterrence for anyone who wants to do bad things. This is to keep people safe and understand that we’re here for the American people.”
The show of force stretches across the country right now as state capitols continue to be on high alert after a warning from the FBI of possible protests and violence from armed, right-wing extremists.
Michigan State Police Lieutenant Michael Shaw said, “Hopefully it will be peaceful, and then hopefully people will go home but we need people to take a deep breath.”
The country is still trying to catch its breath after the deadly attack on the Capitol complex.
Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said, “We’ve never believed that so-called ‘patriots’ would attempt to overthrow their government and kill police officers. But that’s exactly what happened.”
Security teams remain in place, to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
The security, in some form, is expected to stay in place for an extended period following the inauguration.
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