WASHINGTON — Fencing was reinstalled at the U.S. Capitol ahead of potential protests which could collide with President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address.
This is the same fence that was around Capitol for several months after Jan. 6 riots and during the “Justice for J6” rally when supporters of those arrested in the attack rallied outside.
Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger stated Sunday that a plan was approved to reinstall an inner perimeter fence in order to “protect” the United States Congress, Capitol and the legislative process.
Manger stated in a statement that “In light of the forthcoming State of the Union Address and the possibility of demonstrations over the next few weeks, we have been closely working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to create a security plan for any disruption to the important work of Congress.”
The Defense Department approved the request to send hundreds of National Guard soldiers to assist police in traffic control. The troops will mostly be from Washington. However, there will be 300 from other places, according to the National Guard in a statement.
Manger stated that his agency has requested additional security assistance from law enforcement agencies outside of the National Guard.
Many roads surrounding the Capitol will be closed from Friday, May 5th at 5:30 p.m., Capitol Police stated in a separate statement Sunday. They are the same closures that Capitol Police has enforced in the past, and they are not related to potential truck and vehicle convoys.
Officials expect more traffic than usual in the coming days, as truck and vehicle owners plan to protest the situation.
Recent pandemic restrictions have prompted protests by truckers at the Canadian border as well as in Ottawa. A group of pro-Trump groups, antivaccination supporters and QAnon believers has attempted to organize similar events in the U.S. Some could arrive on Tuesday in time for the State of the Union due to their different departure dates and starting points.
