{"id":65902,"date":"2021-01-21T02:42:50","date_gmt":"2021-01-21T02:42:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=65902"},"modified":"2021-01-21T02:42:50","modified_gmt":"2021-01-21T02:42:50","slug":"like-a-military-base-washington-locks-down-for-biden-inauguration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=65902","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Like a military base\u2019: Washington locks down for Biden inauguration"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"WASHINGTON, Jan 20, 2021 (BSS\/AFP) \u2013 Instead of cheering masses, Joe Biden\u2019s welcome to the White House on Wednesday was miles of metal barriers, masked security forces and a dystopian-looking Washington that would normally be primed to party on Inauguration Day.<\/p>\n

The lockdown meant the contingent of roughly 25,000 National Guard troops far outnumbered revellers, who were told to stay away due to America\u2019s out-of-control Covid spread and fears of violence.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis looks like the entrance to a military base\u2026 during war,\u201d said 42-year-old Joe Brunner from New York City, as he stood across from a checkpoint guarded by armed troops and military vehicles in central Washington.<\/p>\n

Red dump trucks with \u201cGod Bless America\u201d emblazoned on their sides served as security barriers at one of the most sensitive sites \u2014 the north side of the White House where Biden was to arrive after his swearing in.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe atmosphere is very strange, it is very un-American\u201d, said 36-year-old Jason Sheffield, adding the security zone and heavy police presence \u201cis unethical to freedom\u201d and \u201cvery scary.\u201d<\/p>\n

For most Americans, the inauguration was watched on social media and TV.<\/p>\n

Streets were nearly empty and many businesses in downtown Washington were boarded up, some due to the pandemic and others because of recent violent protests.<\/p>\n

In recent years, tens of thousands of people have been close enough to the inauguration ceremony to see the president take the oath of office at the great domed Capitol building that hosts Congress.<\/p>\n

The crowd has been massively pared down due to virus contagion concerns \u2014 normally 200,000 passes would be distributed among lawmakers to hand out to their constituents.<\/p>\n

\u2013 \u2018Today is kind of joyous\u2019 \u2013<\/p>\n

This year it was one ticket for each of the 535 members of Congress and one guest each.<\/p>\n

On top of that, Donald Trump\u2019s supporters attacked the Capitol building two weeks ago to try to undo Biden\u2019s election win, prompting extra heavy security.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of the security services have gotten together and essentially shut down movement into Washington DC,\u201d G. Alexander Crowther, research professor at Florida International University and a retired Army colonel, told AFP.<\/p>\n

The number of National Guard troops \u2014 which is on top of thousands of police officers \u2014 is about three times the roughly 8,000 on hand for Trump\u2019s inauguration.<\/p>\n

Those troops would, outside a pandemic year, be guarding crowds on the Capitol grounds and many thousands more packing the roughly 700-acre (280-hectare) National Mall.<\/p>\n

The 2009 inauguration of Barack Obama, America\u2019s first Black president, drew an estimated 450,000 spectators to the Mall.<\/p>\n

Yet some people defied the warnings and strolled the car-less streets to see what they could of America\u2019s handover of power.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think today is kind of joyous,\u201d said downtown Washington resident Sheila Callahan.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as Trump\u2019s helicopter took off from the White House, people (in her neighborhood) were up on the roof cheering.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON, Jan 20, 2021 (BSS\/AFP) \u2013 Instead of cheering masses, Joe Biden\u2019s welcome to the White House on Wednesday was miles of metal barriers, masked security forces and a dystopian-looking Washington that would normally be primed to party on Inauguration Day. The lockdown meant the contingent of roughly 25,000 National Guard troops far outnumbered revellers, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":65903,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[260],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n