As Washington, DC, still reels from the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, it also prepares for the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris .
Photos this week show the city mounting unprecedented preparations against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic and civil unrest. In a city usually known for its open space and abundance of tourists, many of the scenes are shocking, revealing a capital on edge.
The National Guard expects to send 20,000 members in for Inauguration Day. There is a new 7-foot fence surrounding the Capitol, one that officials say cannot be scaled. And there’s a massive perimeter around the White House extending all the way up to K Street and down to Constitution Avenue.
The National Mall will reportedly be closed to the general public , a major change from the scene where typically thousands would gather to watch the new president being sworn in. And the restaurants and souvenir shops that are usually preparing for a swarm of tourists are boarding up windows and fretting about dismal profits this month.
Weapons are distributed to members of the National Guard outside the US Capitol on Wednesday, a week after the riot.
Barricades partially block the intersection of 15th and K Street NW near the White House.
Military trucks are stationed behind perimeter fencing Thursday near Union Station on Capitol Hill.
Razor wire is installed atop a security fence near the U.S. Capitol.
Workers erect security fencing at an intersection near the White House.
Workers board up the International Monetary Fund building near the White House.
A “Military Only” sign is displayed at an entrance in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill.
Extensive road closures are seen on a street near the White House.
The street going toward offices of the U.S. Department of the Treasury is blocked.
Security measures outside the Willard Office Building.
A TV reporter films a segment in front of military vehicles near the US Capitol.
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