As the 2024 presidential “too close to call “election draws to a close, crews across the city have been busy erecting steel fencing and barricades along with plywood walls to thwart damage from any social unrest that may result from the election’s outcome.
The city itself is eerily quiet and cloaked in a palpable pall silencing the usual auto and pedestrian traffic noise as many residents and workers remain at home or have gone out of town to escape the unknown results in the election’s aftermath. Legislators are noticeably missing, too, as they work on reelection campaigns in their home states that will see some fresh faces in the city when the dust settles.
Yesterday, fencing company crews working at the Naval Observatory, home of the vice-president, were busy enclosing the perimeter of the massive complex behind a tall temporary steel wall used to secure the area. This was addition to the fencing and barricades being installed at both the White House, the Capitol, the Supreme Court and other federal buildings as authorities engage in an imposing security effort to avoid any replay of the January 6 insurrection.
Other security preparations call for an additional 7,000 law enforcement officers from across the country to descend on the city in bolstering security along with street closures, diverted traffic and numerous other efforts not visible to the public.
While the security planning has been in play for the past several years, this week and until the inauguration is over will see the city in a form of a lockdown to ensure the safety of all citizens and the normal function of government without any major disruption. Or so it is hoped.
The White House is now barricaded behind six fences, five of which have been reinforced and braced making for an extremely difficult obstacle course which disallows access to anyone determined to enter the secure area. The steel fence installation of 2021 that previously allowed for panel removal by lifting the massive sections out has now been hardened with plates over the joints between sections that unify the entire structure into one immovable obstacle.
Both the Capitol and Supreme Court presently, however, have only temporary steel pedestrian barricades protecting the grounds along with an enhanced police presence.
The Supreme Court was where two protesters demonstrated against a Trump presidency with various signs and declarations while holding a cleverly spelled Kamala banner, “KAM47A”.
On the private sector side, many businesses and office buildings have work crews engaged in installing various mixed security measures as a precaution in anticipation of what may transpire.
The net effect of all this is a repeat of the “plywood city” effect from several years ago in the aftermath of riots that broke out across the city which was soon followed by the J6 insurrection.
Report and photo by Phil Pasquini
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