Before Biden’s inauguration ceremony, Washington, D.C. erected a 3.6-meter guard fence
January 20, 2021, was supposed to be the day President-elect Biden was officially sworn in. However, after the riots in the U.S. Capitol, there is growing concern about possible emergencies.
According to CNN, the riots in the Capitol are just the beginning. Oren Siegel, vice president of the Anti-Defamation League’s Center for Extremism, said white supremacists and far-rights are likely to act cautiously in the next few days, because they know that they are under close surveillance, but “conspiracy is brewing”.
In order to prevent violence, Washington, D.C. began to stand ready. It is expected that by January 20, about 25,000 National Guard soldiers will be redeployed to Washington, D.C., and metal fences will be erected near the Capitol.
However, there are still some risks that cannot be avoided.
As a large number of National Guard soldiers are stationed in the Capitol, the confined space has created conditions for the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Military Times reported.
So far, 43 people have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.
What preparations have been made in Washington, D.C.?
25,000 National Guard soldiers will ensure the safety of Washington.
On January 15th local time, the National Guard said in a statement that about 25,000 National Guard soldiers will be transferred from all states to Washington, D.C., to ensure that President-elect Biden’s inauguration can be held smoothly.
According to statistics released by The Washington Post, as of the morning of January 16, local time, Washington, D.C., had deployed about 10,000 police officers.
At present, the number continues to increase and is expected to reach 25,000.
However, according to William Walker, commander-in-chief of the Washington, D.C. National Guard, “by the day of inauguration, the police force we deployed would be between 22,000 and 25,000.”
“The only time in American history can be compared to Biden’s inauguration in terms of security,” says Heather Richardson, a professor of history at Boston University, was the inauguration of President Lincoln before the Civil War.
Washington City Center has become the “green district” of Baghdad.
According to the Washington Post, on January 14th local time, the U.S. Secret Service, which is responsible for ensuring the safety of the inauguration ceremony, announced that it will establish a “green zone” in downtown Washington, D.C. At that time, only nearby residents and merchants will be allowed to enter and exit, and a certificate that can prove his identity is required when passing through the “Green Zone”. Piece.
Corresponding to the “Green Zone” are several roads near the White House, the Capitol and the Supreme Court.
This area is called the “Red Zone”. From January 16th to January 21st, local time, except for authorized vehicles, any vehicles will be banned in the “Red Zone”.
According to Russia Today, the unprecedented fortification of the U.S. capital Washington, D.C., is shocking, and some netizens call it the “Baghdad Green Zone”.
After the Iraq War in 2003, the U.S. military set up a “Green Zone” in the center of Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, and sent troops to the seat of Iraqi government agencies and the U.S. Embassy in Iraq.
Netizen Kristen Mullen said, “The National Guard should be used to protect us from foreigners, not by the people of the country.”
A 3.6-meter-high fence is set up on the outside of the Capitol.
According to the Daily Mail, on the evening of January 13 local time, workers set up additional roadblocks near the Capitol and raised metal fences. Previously, there was no fence on the outside of the Capitol, but immediately after the riots, Washington, D.C., set up a 2.4-meter-high fence. In order to prevent more serious violence at the inauguration ceremony, Washington, D.C., once again increased the fence height to 3.6 meters.
The Washington Post pointed out that in addition to the Capitol, fences have also been set up near the Supreme Court, but the fences on the outside of major buildings are different.
Some buildings are only short metal fenced on the outside, and some are high fences reinforced by concrete with barbed wire at the top.
People in Washington, D.C. are restricted in travel and strictly control foreigners.
13 Metro Stations in the Downtown Area will be closed during Biden’s inauguration, The Washington Post reported.
Since January 15th local time, 11 subway stations near the Capitol have been closed, and two other subway stations have also been closed on January 16. The restrictions will last until January 21.
“I know this has caused great inconvenience to the lives of our residents, but I would like to thank you for your cooperation, and it’s clear that we’re in ‘uncharted territory,’” said Washington, D.C. Mayor Bowser.
For non-D.C. residents, getting in the area will become more difficult, according to NPR.
According to the map of the United States, Virginia is adjacent to Washington, D.C. For safety reasons, four main bridges from Virginia to Washington, D.C. will be closed until January 21 local time.
For far-right elements, there are also restrictions on flying to the SAR.
According to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, they are currently reviewing the list of suspicious people provided by law enforcement agencies and adding police at three airports in the District.
David Peck, director of the Transportation Security Administration, said, “Our intelligence and auditing experts are working around the clock to prevent those who may pose a threat to aviation security from boarding the plane.”
What are the risks facing Washington, D.C.?
The redeployment of National Guard soldiers from states across the United States to Washington, D.C., during the COVID-19 pandemic may make the virus more likely to spread, the Military Times reported.
U.S. Air Force Captain Tinash Machona revealed that as of the afternoon of January 15, local time, 43 National Guard soldiers stationed in Washington, D.C., had been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.
“When we went to Washington, D.C. on a mission, we didn’t find anyone infected with COVID-19,” said Marjona. At present, the National Guard will continue to promote the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s epidemic prevention guidelines, including social distancing with others, wearing masks, etc.
Each force commander has the responsibility to ensure that these epidemic prevention regulations are complied with, and we will also provide personal protective equipment to the soldiers.
“If a National Guard soldier is infected with COVID-19, we’ll take some steps,” Marjona said. But the Military Times noted that Machona was unable to immediately say the number of soldiers who were quarantined for contacting confirmed cases.
It is worth noting that National Guard soldiers across the United States were not tested for the novel coronavirus before they were transferred to Washington, D.C. Marjona said that when the soldiers left the state and arrived in Washington, D.C., they were all tested for epidemic prevention, but this only included temperature tests, and COVID-19 testing was not mandatory.
According to statistics released by Johns Hopkins University in the United States, as of 14:00 Beijing time on January 17, the cumulative number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country has exceeded 23.75 million, and the number of deaths has exceeded 390,000.
Since entering 2021, the record of the number of new confirmed cases and deaths in a single day in the United States has been constantly set.
According to the latest report of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of the infected people in the United States so far have been transmitted by asymptomatic infections.
Meanwhile, while the US has started vaccinating the coronavirus, it’s less efficient.
According to the report of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of January 15 local time, 31 million doses of vaccines have been distributed and 12.3 million doses have been completed, of which about 1.61 million have been doses of vaccines.
