On Monday morning, Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser convened her Interfaith Council for a very unique community meeting titled: ‘Our City in Prayer: United in Faith and Hope.’ The official goal was to seat residents and leaders of various faiths together at Shiloh Baptist Church to demonstrate “solidarity, resilience and hope for the community.” The unofficial, reassuring for the next 11 weeks, that many in the D.C. They fear that they are marked by strain and including the violencelike four years ago.
That in recent days the city has begun to erect barricades, walls and fortify federal buildings It doesn’t help to relax. It’s not just the surroundings of the White House, with bollards, concrete blocks and fences that minimize pedestrian crossing. They have risen panels to cover all types of buildings federal offices and nearby office complexes. The Treasury Department, Lafayette Square, as well as the outer perimeter of the Naval Observatory, the official residence of Vice President Kamala Harris.
The same goes for the Capitol, which for four years has never fully returned to normal. There are temporary barriers for pedestrians and bicycles and police signs everywhere, despite the fact that there are now no congressmen or senators, as their seats are up for grabs this Tuesday in all 50 states. Even in some of the great monuments of the Mall, additional measures are seen.
The second unusual security block is the one that has been raised surrounding Howard University, Harris’ alma materwhere his campaign will gather on election night. The same style of security perimeter as at the NATO summit in July, streets closed, traffic diverted and construction bans for several kilometers. “The truth is that I feel very sad about the current situation“said the mayor of the capital yesterday in statements reported by local media. “But the way I deal with anxiety is by working and making sure that we are as prepared as possible.”
The inhabitants of the capital are as nervous and anxious as she is. Surveys show that elections are tied, more than everwhich suggests complicated recounts, litigation as on previous occasions. And one of the candidates, Donald Trump, who has never acknowledged that he lost in 2020, is preparing the ground for a fierce fight, although it is not clear under what terms: “Honestly, I shouldn’t have left,” he said last weekend. of the week about his departure from the White House.
On January 20
The uncertainty It will be the base scenario until January 20which is when the next president must be sworn in. And that is why the authorities, who have conspired after the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, do not want surprises. They have strengthened ties with federal agencies, the Capitol Police has increased its staff and 3,300 DC police officers will work 12-hour shiftswithout vacations, in the coming weeks. “We will not tolerate violence in our city, nor destruction nor any illegal behavior… We will not tolerate the destruction of property and we will not tolerate threats to public safety or to this electoral process,” the city’s police chief promised, Pamela A. Smith, at a press conference this Monday. “We want everyone to know that we are prepared to handle many different scenarios and that we have the right people to keep our city safe,” he added.
On Tuesday the police will focus on the polling stations, the White House and the city centermobilizing helicopters and drones. They do not rule out the presence of additional snipers near where the largest queues are expected, as in other sensitive counties in the country, due to the proliferation of threats and harassment to electoral officials since 2020.
No disturbances of any kind are expected, at least in the short term. But the lesson of January 2021 still stings. Washington is the capital, but the real pressure won’t be here, not until December at least. The The next two or three weeks are decisive at the state levelbecause it is the counties and the governors who have to certify the results. Only when that phase has concluded does the ball pass to Congress.
But even so, a walk near the White House shows walls, fences and wood protecting glass up to the first floor of some buildings. There are no longer windows or facades in some blocks, not even in those with shops or restaurants or bars, an obvious disincentive for customers. But They prefer to be over-cautious than to fall short. The example of 2021 serves as a template and although they really do not believe it will be the same, or worse, the owners say that no one saw the storming of the Capitol coming either. So nothing is off the table.
Social networks have been filled these days with photos and videos of riot fences, of walls more than a meter thick in the windows of McDonald’s. And even panels up to five meters high in classic venues like Potbelly.
“The Secret Service is working closely with federal, state and local partners in Washington, DC and Palm Beach County, Florida, to ensure high levels of security on Election Day,” a Secret Service spokesperson told Newsweek. “These improvements do not respond to any specific problem, but are part of a extensive public safety preparation for Tuesday’s elections.” The Palm Beach Convention Center, a short distance from Mar-a-lago, is where Trump and his people will wait for the count on the night of the 5th to the 6th.
“We recognize the importance of upholding people’s First Amendment rights to peacefully express their opinions, and we are committed to facilitating lawful demonstrations while maintaining public order. While there have been no indications of protests, events, demonstrations or large-scale violent activities, the Washington Police Department urges the public to remain vigilant,” the force said this week in a statement.