Security fencing has been reinstalled around the perimeter of the U.S. Capitol building ahead of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address this week, Capitol Police confirmed Sunday.
The cautionary measure is in response to several expected protests and demonstrations headed to Washington, D.C., inspired by trucker convoys in Ottawa, Canada, that disrupted traffic for more than three weeks. Some groups trickled in as early as last week, with others not expected to arrive until Saturday.
“Out of an abundance of caution, and in conjunction with the United States Secret Service, a plan has been approved to put up the inner-perimeter fence around the Capitol Building for the State of the Union address,” said Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger in a statement. “I have also requested support from outside law enforcement agencies as well as the National Guard to assist with our security precautions.”
Several trucker convoys are expected to reach the district throughout the next week, the largest being the “People’s Convoy,” which set off on an 11-day journey from California to protest COVID-19 mandates and other political woes. However, with so many individual groups organizing trips to the capital, it’s been difficult for law enforcement to predict how many protesters will arrive and how long they’ll stay.
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As a result, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved the deployment of 700 National Guard members to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to manage traffic flow.
Guard members will not carry firearms or take part in any law enforcement or domestic surveillance, the Pentagon said in a statement sent to the Washington Examiner. They will be able to report any observed criminal activity, which will then be handled by Metro police and Capitol police.
In addition to the fencing around the Capitol building, Capitol Police also announced several road closures for Tuesday. However, the agency said the roads are “the same road closures the USCP has had in the past and are not related to the potential truck and vehicle convoys.”
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Fencing was last placed around the Capitol in anticipation of a September rally to support those who were charged in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 rally. However, that event turned out to be underwhelming, as members of the media and law enforcement vastly outnumbered the few hundred rallygoers.
Before that, a fence was erected for several months following the Jan. 6 riot, with portions being removed in March and the full blockade being fully removed in early July.
It’s unclear how long the fencing will remain installed around the Capitol, although it’s expected to be removed shortly after the groups head home.
