President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th president of the United States under unusual circumstances amid a pandemic and after an attack on the U.S. Capitol, where the events are traditionally hosted, left five people dead.

Both the U.S. Capitol Police and National Guard expect that tens of thousands of protesters could make their way to Washington for the event. Defense officials said the Pentagon has authorized up to 15,000 guardsmen to support law enforcement before and throughout the inauguration, with nearly half that number already deployed. Guardsmen providing security during an inauguration is not unusual, but officials are still determining if individuals will be armed or dressed in riot gear.