Six months on, battle over Jan. 6 riot is just beginning

Finally, after six months, fortresslike fencing around the Capitol will come down, House Sergeant-at-Arms William Walker announced this week.

Since early January, the 8-foot nonscaleable wall has encompassed the Capitol, closing off the building and expansive grounds to all but lawmakers, staff, and credentialed media. It was swiftly erected after hundreds of angry rioters pushed their way inside the building days earlier, threatening staff and lawmakers who were at work certifying the election of Joe Biden.