Fortress Washington: How The Nation’s Capital Is Prepping For Inauguration Day

Wary about the potential for unrest on Inauguration Day, the National Park Service said it was shutting down national landmarks across the nation’s capital as a security precaution through Jan. 21. That’s just one of the steps taken since the Capitol riots.

State leaders across the country are calling up their National Guard units to protect their Capitol building from protestors Wednesday when President-elect Joe Biden takes the oath of office to become the 46th president of the United States.

On Friday, the National Park Service said it was closing down parts of Washington D.C as a security precaution, including the White House complex, the National Mall and the Ellipse.

Jeff Reinbold, the superintendent for the National Mall and Memorial Parks, said the decision was made in coordination with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, area police and the Secret Service. From her Twitter account, meanwhile, Bowser was advocating for a see-something, say-something campaign ahead of the inaugural event.

Early this week, the FBI, in a memo, said it received information that saboteurs were planning to storm federal, state and local buildings in all 50 states and national territories on Jan. 20.

On Tuesday, Rep. Conor Lamb, D-Pa., told CNN he was briefed by the FBI about the potential for further unrest.

"They were talking about 4,000 armed 'patriots' to surround the Capitol and prevent any Democrat from going in," he said.

Tens of thousands of members of the National Guard already deployed to the Capitol building early this week as the House of Representatives voted on articles of impeachment against President Trump. He was convicted in the House of inciting insurrection during a Wednesday address from the Ellipse in Washington D.C.

Following the unrest, law enforcement erected barriers laced with concertina wire to protect federal buildings. Politico reported on Friday that the House Oversight Committee sent out letters to car rental companies and hotel chains calling on them to enact screening measures to beef up security. A practice run for the inauguration, meanwhile, was rescheduled to Monday because of security concerns.

Lisa Monaco, a Homeland Security adviser under President Barack Obama, was brought in to help the Biden team prepare for any security matters.

“Ms. Monaco will assist the President-elect and work with the incoming national security advisor, the incoming homeland security advisor, and current security and law enforcement officials, including with the United States Secret Service on their plans for the inauguration,” Politico quoted a spokesperson for the Biden transition team as saying. “Given the existing threats, Ms. Monaco’s temporary role will be focused solely on the period leading up to the inauguration.”

The FBI has rounded up scores of individuals for breaching the Capitol building last week. Federal prosecutors in a case against Jacob Chansley, the man captured in numerous images donning a fur cap with horns, alleged pro-Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol wanted to“capture and assassinate elected officials,” according to the Associated Press.

Scott Stewart, the vice president of risk management firm TorchStone Global, said in a research note shared with International Business Times that many of the supporters of President Trump were relatively peaceful, adding many of them were providing tips to the FBI after last week’s Capitol insurrection. It’s the more radical elements, such as the Proud Boys or QAnon conspiracy theorists, that pose a significant threat.

“In fact, we expect these factions to be emboldened to commit further violent protests, and even targeted attacks against their identified enemies,” he said.

The good news, he added, is that many of these groups were now on the radar of law enforcement personnel following last week’s insurrection.