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In Pictures: Troops, riot fencing and razor wire in Washington DC

A total 25,000 National Guard soldiers are surveilling the city as preparations are made for Joe Biden’s inauguration.

Members of the National Guard patrol near the United States Capitol building ahead of US President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, in Washington, DC. [Andrew Kelly/Reuters]
Published On 19 Jan 202119 Jan 2021
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Central Washington is an armed fortress, fenced off with razor wire and surrounded by 25,000 National Guard troops ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, a stark contrast to previous inaugurations when the United States capital erupted in days of celebration.

The COVID-19 pandemic had already cancelled the inaugural balls. Now the National Mall is closed to the public due to threats of violence from groups who attacked the US Capitol on January 6. Almost none of the public will witness firsthand the transition of power, souring the mood of Washingtonians.

“It’s like a ghost town but with soldiers,” said Dana O’Connor, who walked with her husband past concrete barriers near the White House on Sunday. “It’s eerie. It feels super unnatural.”

Previous inaugurations sometimes drew over a million spectators to the National Mall, to watch the ceremony from giant television screens and the new president parading on foot from the Capitol to the White House. Balls and parties in hotel ballrooms and convention halls across the city feted guests with champagne and music from A-list stars.

Presidential inaugurations are normally high-security events, with metal detectors at key entry points, restricted ID-only zones and the National Guard supplementing local and federal law enforcement. But the level of precautions this year is unprecedented.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said on Sunday that law enforcement officials had no choice but to ramp up security after the deadly Capitol attack, where “so-called patriots would attempt to overthrow their government and kill police officers”.

“We don’t want to see fences. We definitely don’t want to see armed troops on our streets. But we do have to take a different posture,” Bowser said on the NBC programme Meet the Press.

The city will see little of the $107m increase in tax revenue that an inauguration week normally brings, the DowntownDC Business Improvement District estimates.

Members of the National Guard greet a dog while they spend time in Lincoln Park in Washington, DC, days ahead of US President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration. [Brendan McDermid/Reuters]
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National Guard troops reinforce the security zone on Capitol Hill in Washington. [J Scott Applewhite/AP Photo]
A street leading to the White House is blocked by police and security fencing as preparations are made for President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony. [Julio Cortez/AP Photo]
National Guard troops reinforce the security zone on Capitol Hill in Washington before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president on Wednesday. [J Scott Applewhite/AP Photo]
Riot shields are stacked at the ready as National Guard troops reinforce the security zone on Capitol Hill. [J Scott Applewhite/AP Photo]
Federal K-9 units prepare for a security sweep in preparation for the inauguration ceremonies on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Tuesday, January 19, 2021. [J Scott Applewhite/AP Photo]
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Members of the National Guard have coffee while standing watch at a barrier on a close street ahead of US President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration. [Caitlin Ochs/Reuters]
National Guard troops are deployed throughout Washington, DC in the most heavily guarded inauguration since that of President Abraham Lincoln in 1861. [Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo]
A 'Field of Flags' is illuminated on the National Mall. Approximately 191,500 US flags will cover part of the National Mall to represent the American people who are unable to travel to Washington, DC for the inauguration. [Joe Raedle/Pool/EPA]


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