The inauguration ceremony of the new president of the United States will be held in Washington, D.C., on January 20.
As the inauguration ceremony approaches, potential protests and violence have become the focus of the security department of the United States government.
According to CBS on the 16th, the far-right anti-government organization “Bugalo Movement” will carry out armed protests in Washington, D.C., and 50 state capitals on the 17th local time.
The FBI issued a warning this week that the organization called on its supporters to participate in the activities and decide whether to carry weapons or not.
CNN quoted a joint briefing issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security and other departments, saying that extremists in the United States are likely to threaten the presidential inauguration, especially those who are dissatisfied with the election results.
The FBI said it had learned about the information about the brewing of armed protests in Washington, D.C., and 50 state capitals across the United States. FBI Director Christopher Ray said recently that several agencies are currently closely tracking and monitoring relevant clues.
The potential risks of the presidential inauguration provoke the security nerves of the United States.
At present, the security of the capital Washington is upgraded and is ready; many states have also strengthened security precautions.
Over the past few days, the security measures in Washington, D.C., have become more and more stringent, and members of the National Guard patrol with live ammunition.
The Pentagon recently announced that it has sent 25,000 National Guard soldiers to assist in the security of the President’s inauguration ceremony.
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration announced on the 16th that in order to ensure the safety of the presidential inauguration, the department is stepping up the review of “information of hundreds of suspicious passengers”.
Federal law enforcement agencies have stepped up the identification of protesters who stormed Congress on the 6th and put them on the no-fly list, including through surveillance videos.
In addition, the National Railway Passenger Transport Company announced on the 16th that some services in Virginia and southern Washington would be suspended due to security issues during the presidential inauguration.
In addition to the capital, many states in the United States have also strengthened security precautions. According to the New York Times, at least 10 of the 50 states in the United States use the state National Guard, and some states plan to temporarily close state capitol buildings or cancel next week’s state congressional activities.
To enhance security during the inauguration of the next U.S. president, the Pentagon has authorized the dispatch of 25,000 National Guard soldiers to Washington to maintain security.
However, according to the Military Times, as of the afternoon of the 15th local time, 43 of the more than 7,000 National Guard members in Washington have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. And as more National Guard members gather from all over the United States, the number of infected people is bound to increase further.
According to CNN on the 16th, a spokesman for the U.S. National Guard said that the 25,000 soldiers sent to Washington will not be tested for all personnel, but will be tested for individual personnel “as appropriate”.
At present, only the temperature of all personnel will be measured.
The spokesperson also said National Guard soldiers are required to wear masks and maintain social distancing when conditions permit.
However, once another incident similar to the violent impact on the Capitol on the 6th of this month, the requirement of social distancing may be difficult to achieve.
In response, CNN reported that these National Guard soldiers were not warned of epidemic prevention when they were deployed; some state national guard officials also expressed concern about possible mass infection in Washington.
On the 6th of this month, after the violent impact on the U.S. Capitol, several experts have warned that the incident may be a potential super-spreading of the virus due to the large number of protesters from all over the world.
It is reported that many members of Congress hid in the same place that day, some of whom did not wear masks. At present, six members of parliament have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
On the 16th, local time, in order to prevent rallies and protests in Washington, which would lead to conflict, many roads around the White House were closed in advance, and the surrounding businesses were generally nailed to boards.
National Guard military vehicles were deployed at every road junction leading to the area related to the presidential inauguration ceremony, and National Guard members stood guard. On duty.
Notices posted at the intersection show that the roads in the areas related to the presidential inauguration ceremony were banned from the evening of the 16th local time to the evening of the 23rd, and many intersections were directly equipped with dense cement roadblocks.
Starting from the 16th, the areas on both sides of Pennsylvania Avenue have been completely isolated by barbed wire, and pedestrians need to be strictly checked if they want to pass through the relevant areas.
Along Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol Square, two high barbed wire fences to isolate pedestrians, and police stood guard to keep people at a distance.
Public areas that used to be open are now isolated into forbidden areas by heavy barbed wire, making people feel difficult to walk.
Shirley, who has lived in Washington for thirty years, said that she was scared by so many fences and so many police and soldiers, and the once calm city became so tense by the political storm, which made her sadder.
Shirley Miles, a local resident of Washington: America should not have such a sad and disaster. Now it is the most serious security threat that the United States has experienced domestically since the Civil War.
