The nation’s capital is being shut down on an unprecedented scale for Inauguration Day as U.S. law enforcement agencies prepare for “any contingency that might arise” during the “vital, no-fail mission,” a top Secret Service official said Friday.
Downtown Washington looks like a war zone with thousands of armed soldiers, metal fences and security checkpoints as part of security measures amid threats of armed protests ahead of Inauguration Day in the wake of the U.S. Capitol insurrection last week.
“There is a great deal of very concerning chatter, and it’s what you don’t know that we are preparing for,” Matt Miller, special agent in charge of the Washington bureau of the Secret Service, said at a briefing Friday of local, state and federal law enforcement officials. “I don’t know if anybody has raised their hand to say, ‘We are coming, we will be there,’ but we are preparing as if they are.”
The military presence and other security features provide a stark contrast to last week’s preparations for a pro-Trump rally that turned chaotic when demonstrators stormed the Capitol and forced lawmakers into hiding. At least five people died as a result of the insurrection, including one Capitol Police officer, and law enforcement has arrested dozens of suspects.
“We cannot allow an occurrence of the chaos and illegal activity that the United States witnessed last week,” Mr. Miller said.
The Secret Service is the leading agency charged with security at the inauguration of President-elect Joseph R. Biden, and Mr. Miller assured that they are prepared for “any contingency that might arise” during the “vital, no-fail mission.”
Thousands of armed National Guard members have been patrolling a miles-long security perimeter throughout parts of the District of Columbia. Acting Metropolitan Police Chief Robert J. Contee III said he expects up to 20,000 will be deployed “in the footprint” of the city during the inauguration ceremony.
Security checkpoints will be set up along the security perimeter, and any vehicles attempting to enter will be searched.
“We are looking for weapons, threats or explosives — outside of that, the vehicle is safe to enter once it’s been cleared and swept and it has a legitimate purpose for entering the zone,” Mr. Miller said.
Parking garages in the restricted areas will be blocked Friday through Thursday. At least 13 Metro stations within the security perimeter will be closed, streetcar service is suspended, 26 bus routes are being detoured, and Metro trains are running on a Saturday schedule.
Paul J. Wiedefeld, general manager of the metropolitan transit authority, said riders also will see a “stepped up” police presence.
“You also will see police officers from Baltimore, New York, New Jersey, Chicago, New Orleans, Houston, Denver and San Francisco also in our system throughout our system this week,” Mr. Wiedefeld said.
Parts of the National Mall closed Friday through Thursday. Two demonstrations, with up to 100 attendees each, will be allowed to take place along Pennsylvania Ave during that period, according to Jeff Reinbold, superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks.
“They will be met by U.S. Park Police, escorted through magnetometers, and then taken to these areas so that they can exercise their First Amendment rights,” Mr. Reinbold said.
Boarded-up buildings and no parking signs can be found throughout the city, and officials have been removing trash cans that could serve as a hiding place for explosives.
A National Special Security Event is in effect until Jan. 21, and President Trump declared a state of emergency in the city through Jan. 24.
At the briefing, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser reiterated her call for people to avoid traveling to the District for the inauguration and said she will consider enforcing a curfew.