WASHINGTON (AP) – All over downtown Washington, the main noise for several blocks was the screeching of forklifts unloading more fencing.
There were no cars or scooters and apparently no tourists on Wednesday, just the occasional jogger and several construction crews at work. The Capitol, which turned out to be such a feeble target last week, was visible only through rows of tall black railings.
Two blocks from the White House, a group of uniformed National Guard troops emerged from a tour bus and entered a hotel when a state of incarceration fell on Washington that will last until the January 20 inauguration. The number of National Guard troops coming to Washington to assist police with security has grown to about 26,000, officials said Thursday.
“Clearly we are in uncharted waters,” said Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Last week’s “violent uprising” in the Capitol by supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump “has impacted the way we approach working with our federal partners in planning the 59th inauguration,” Bowser said Wednesday.
The FBI has warned of armed protests from violent Trump supporters were planned in all 50 state capitals and in Washington for the days leading up to the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.
In between the pandemic and the security threat, Bowser outright asks people not to come to the District of Columbia for the inauguration. And at Bowser’s request, a National Special Security Event statement was moved to Jan. 13, an award that she says “introduces an entirely different command and control structure” for security.
NSSE status is normal for a presidential inauguration and other major events such as an international summit or the Super Bowl. But it is rare for the lockdown to start this far before the event.
Police vehicles shut off a huge portion of downtown DC on Wednesday, immediately grunting traffic. Starting Wednesday, Bowser said, anyone within the inauguration perimeter could be stopped and questioned. From Friday, all parking garages in the restricted area in the city center will be sealed during the inauguration. Bowser is asking DC residents to avoid downtown entirely, and the city announced that 13 subway stations within the security perimeter will close for several days.
Bowser is also being urged to refuse shelter for potentially violent protesters. The local Black Lives Matter branch and Shutdown DC issued a joint statement on Wednesday calling on all downtown hotels to voluntarily close and pay their staff. In addition to the threat of violence, the activist groups say Trump supporters pose a threat to the health of hotel workers because of their general refusal to wear face masks during the pandemic. Several downtown hotels, including one that had become a favorite meeting place of the militant Proud Boy faction, chose to avoid trouble by closing last week.
“Closing hotels completely for these six nights is the only way to ensure the safety of hotel workers, neighbors, vulnerable and unhoused residents, incoming government officials, members of Congress and our democracy,” the statement said. “If hotels don’t close voluntarily, we ask Mayor Bowser to extend today’s emergency warrant and close all hotels in the city.”
On Wednesday, Airbnb announced that it is canceling all reservations on the Washington metro. Bowser said she had been in regular contact with Airbnb officials since last week, but had not specifically requested this move.
“We are aware of reports that emerged yesterday afternoon of armed militias and known hate groups attempting to travel and disrupt the inauguration,” said a company statement. “We will continue our work to ensure that members of hate groups are not part of the Airbnb community.”
On the ground, much of the most visible security will come in the form of National Guard troops, some of which are armed. Pentagon officials approved requests to have some of them carry either long or small arms, especially those assigned near the Capitol. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss security details.
Members of the National Guard have strict rules for the use of force. But in general, troops can use deadly force to protect the lives of others and themselves.
DC Police Chief Robert Contee on Wednesday estimated that more than 20,000 National Guard members would be active in the city on the inauguration day. But officials said Thursday the number has grown to 26,000 based on additional requests from law enforcement agencies.
As of Thursday, there are already about 7,000 in the city, with thousands on the way. The duration of their missions can vary, but Defense Department officials were authorized to deploy the Guard for up to 30 days for the inauguration and surrounding protests.
Officials say Guard members from all 50 states are committed to the city, even as each state is on the alert for violent protests or attacks in its own capital.