| Ahead of the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden on the 17th (local time), the National Guard is controlling traffic near the Washington Capitol. © AFP=News1 © News1 Reporter Dongmyeong Woo |
The inauguration ceremony of the US president was a political event that celebrated the change of power and amidst a large number of welcoming crowds, but this year’s inauguration ceremony for Joe Biden is expected to be held within the quietest and strictest boundaries in US history.
In particular, as the possibility of armed protests by the pro-Trump protesters was raised, 25,000 national guards, police and federal agents, the largest ever, were deployed in Washington, DC, the US capital.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said, “We have obtained information on armed demonstrations targeting Congress, courts, and government offices in Washington DC and 50 states across the United States,” and informed local police authorities to strengthen their vigilance.
The U.S. National Park Service has already temporarily closed most of the Washington National Mall area by the 21st at the request of the Secret Service (SS). The National Mall is a park from the US Capitol where the inauguration ceremony is held to the Washington Monument and is usually crowded on the day of the inauguration ceremony.
However, after the raid on the Capitol on the 6th, fearing another terrorist situation or unrest, the area was designated as a’special security area’. As a result, assembly is also allowed only in the permitted area, and a checkpoint is required upon entry.
A 7-foot (approximately 2.1 m) tall iron fence surrounds the House of Parliament, and thousands of National Guards are on the lookout. Citizens were often found to be checked on the streets if there was anything suspicious.
This is attributable to President Donald Trump, who has been insisting on “unfavorable elections” for months. His supporters believe the elections were held unfairly and that Biden-elect stole the votes.
President Trump also announced that he would not attend the inauguration ceremony of Biden, setting a record for the first time in 152 years that the former president was absent from the inauguration ceremony of the new president. Despite the promise of “a smooth and peaceful regime transfer,” President Trump’s message to his supporters is the exact opposite.
Elect Biden took on a difficult task that had to embrace even some of the people who thought he was a’scammer’. It is noteworthy how President-elect Biden will overcome the division left by President Trump until the end.
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