This was announced by the head of the Capitol Police, in order to protect the speech and any possible protests in Washington, D.C. over the next few weeks.
In a statement, Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger stated that the decision to remove the fence from the Capitol was taken “out of an abundance and caution.” He said that the agency has been working closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to “prevent any disruption to the important work of Congress” due to Tuesday’s State of the Union address and the possibility of protest trucks arriving to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
Manger stated that he has sought support from other law enforcement agencies as well as the National Guard in order to take security precautions.
Self-proclaimed “People’s Convoy” was born out of a three-week-long protest by truckers from Ottawa against Canada’s COVID-19 restrictions on truck drivers and the vaccine requirement. The U.S.-based convoy left California last week and is expected to arrive Washington, D.C.-area on March 5.
Another convoy was expected to leave Scranton, Pennsylvania on Wednesday but failed to get traction. However, D.C. officials warned that other truckers could reach Washington Tuesday, when Mr. Biden will give his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress .
At least two convoys posted their routes online. However, it’s not clear how many trucks are taking part in the demonstrations.
The Pentagon approved requests for assistance from National Guard members from the Capitol Police Department and D.C. Metropolitan Police Department in anticipation of protests. According to the National Guard, up to 700 National Guard members will assist at designated traffic points and select Capitol entry points. They will not be carrying firearms or participating in law enforcement activities.
After the January 6 attack on the Capitol, fencing was placed around the Capitol Complex for several weeks. The remaining inner fencing was removed by July. In September, temporary fencing was reinstated ahead of a rally to support those who were arrested in connection with the January 6 attack.
