Security measures around the Capitol in Washington are being tightened for Tuesday, when President Joe Biden will deliver his State of the Union address there.
The fences that had been installed after the riot of January 6, 2021 will be put back, amid concerns of possible protests or road blockades by truckers, as happened in Canada.
Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said in a statement that the fence will be erected at the time of the speech “out of an abundance of caution” and after consultation with the Secret Service.
Authorities in Washington anticipate the arrival of convoys of truckers protesting against the health restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The Pentagon has already approved the deployment of 700 national guardsmen, albeit without weapons, to help control traffic in case the trucks come.
The convoys, inspired by the Canadian movement, have been planned on internet forums. They start from different places and travel different routes, but some intend to arrive in Washington by the time Biden gives her speech.
Manger emphasized that “our force’s mission to protect Congress, Capitol Hill and the entire legislative process of the United States remains steadfast.”
The fence had become a symbol of the fear that invaded the US capital after the mob of Donald Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, smashing doors and windows and attacking police officers. The fence stood for several months.
The Capitol’s board of directors approved a plan to put up the fence again in September, due to the announcement of protests by people who demanded that the attackers be released. But very few protesters turned out on that occasion; there were many more members of the security forces and journalists.
