Fences with spiraling barbed wires, barricades, security<\/a> checkpoints, and heavily armed guards are what you would expect in a military encampment for a warzone, not in downtown Washington D.C. But these are only some of the measures that have been put in place in preparation for\u00a0President-elect Joe Biden<\/a>\u2019s inauguration<\/a> next week.<\/p>\n The heightened security in the nation\u2019s capital is a telltale sign that authorities and officials are extremely worried that the civil unrest and violence observed on Jan. 6 may repeat next week.<\/p>\n Federal authorities have\u00a0said they are tracking an \u201cextensive\u201d amount<\/a> of \u201cconcerning online chatter\u201d about potential threats to the inauguration, including armed protests, potential threats linked to the Capitol breach, and other types of potential threats.<\/p>\n The fortification of the city, particularly around the White House and U.S. Capitol, began over the past few days and is expected to ramp up in the lead up to Jan. 20.<\/p>\n Videos by reporters, workers, and residents in the area show street closures<\/a>, workers putting up miles of barricades and fencing, shops and offices being boarded up<\/a>, and an increased military presence. Military vehicles are seen parked on downtown streets, and armed guards are checking identification for people leaving and entering the city<\/a>.<\/p>\n The locked-down city has been separated into Green and Red zones as part of the 2021 Presidential Inaugural Subcommittees\u2019 transportation plan. The U.S. Secret Service has posted a list of all the street closures<\/a> on its website, many of which began at 6 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 16, and are scheduled to end at 6 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 21. A number of bridges and interstate highways into Washington are also scheduled to close at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19.<\/p>\n As many as 25,000\u00a0National Guard<\/a>\u00a0members\u00a0from all 50 states, three territories, and Washington will be stationed in the city next week, the U.S. Army confirmed,\u00a0which\u00a0is an increase<\/a>\u00a0of 5,000 from numbers earlier this week. The number of guardsmen sent to Washington exceeds the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, which has been reduced to 2,500, the Pentagon said on Friday<\/a>.<\/p>\n National Guardsmen were given the authorization to be armed on Jan. 12 in order to support law enforcement in the Capitol and the city, according to a statement by the D.C. National Guard<\/a>.\u00a0The authorization came after a request by federal authorities. Troops have been on 24-hour watch in the U.S. Capitol and off-duty troops have been photographed sleeping in building hallways.<\/p>\n The increased number of National Guard members will be there to supplement the already ramped up forces\u00a0from the FBI,\u00a0U.S. Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Capitol Police, and D.C.\u2019s\u00a0Metropolitan Police Department.<\/p>\n Virginia National Guard soldiers march across the east from of the U.S. Capitol on their way to their guard posts in Washington on Jan. 16, 2021.<\/p><\/div>\n Before resigning<\/a> from office, former acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said in a statement on Jan. 11 that he had instructed the U.S. Secret service<\/a> to begin National Special Security Event operations for the inauguration from Jan. 13.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has also increased its security measures ahead of the inauguration. TSA Administrator\u00a0David Pekoske said in a statement<\/a> that the agency is currently processing hundreds of names with law enforcement agencies as part of a risk assessment. The agency will also add\u00a0additional layers of security at all three D.C.-area airports.<\/p>\n \u201cThose security layers include more law enforcement and explosives detection canine teams, random gate screening, increased number of Federal Air Marshals on certain flights, and additional Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) teams to provide greater security presence at certain rail transportation hubs,\u201d Pekoske said.<\/p>\n Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and security officials have also urged Americans<\/a> to stay home to watch the inauguration virtually.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know this is the right request for our public safety and our public health,\u201d she said on Friday.<\/p>\n D.C. officials estimate the inauguration will cost roughly $45 million due to the increased security measures. So far, Congress has approved $34.9 million, Christopher Rodriguez, director of D.C.\u2019s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, said in a press conference on Jan. 15<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rodriguez said the amount was keeping in mind\u00a0deficits that the District had run \u201cbecause of the heightened number of first amendment demonstrations\u201d seen throughout 2020.<\/p>\n In 2017, security for President Donald Trump\u2019s inauguration cost around $27 million, according<\/a> to\u00a0Rodriguez\u2014around $7 million more than the\u00a0$19.995 million\u00a0approved by Congress<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Washington-lockdown.jpg\")
Civil Liberties<\/h2>\n