WASHINGTON – This city under siege was quiet Sunday as Americans braced for possible violence ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.
National Guard troops were pouring into the nation’s capital as well as many state capitals after law enforcement officials warned of possibly violent protests planned nationwide this week by supporters of President Donald Trump, who falsely claims the election was stolen from him. It was just 11 days ago that scores of rioters smashed through windows and rampaged through the U.S. Capitol, clashing with overwhelmed Capitol police. The melee was blamed for five deaths, left parts of the hallowed building in ruins and raised questions about law enforcement’s preparation and response.
USA TODAY is monitoring protests and security issues in the district and across the U.S. Keep refreshing this page for updates.
A woman was arrested for impersonating a law enforcement officer near an inauguration security checkpoint in Washington D.C. Saturday morning. At about 8:45 a.m. the suspect drove up to a perimeter checkpoint north of the Capitol Building near Union Station, according to a police incident report which does not give her name.
She displayed a military police challenge coin and stated she was a law enforcement officer and part of the presidential cabinet, according to the report.
A challenge coin is a symbolic item given to members of a military unit as a reward for good work or as a morale booster. They don’t serve as law enforcement credentials.
After initially being ordered to put her car in park and complying, the suspect drove northbound on Columbus Circle NE. Capitol Police successfully stopped the vehicle after a short distance and arrested the woman for impersonation of a law enforcement officer, failure to obey and fleeing a law enforcement officer.
The report notes that she was taken to a hospital for evaluation with no further details.
Capitol riot was like a scene from TV show ‘Designated Survivor’
Handan Gencogluer, 60, came into D.C. from McLean with a friend to walk around and see the extent of the security Sunday. “It’s sad. This is supposed to be a happy time,” she said, noting the parties and celebrations of past inaugurations. Gencogluer wasn’t worried too much about violence: ““Now they’re ready, the good guys at least.”
Gencogluer, an immigrant from Istanbul, said she watched in horror at the violence last week. She had friends texting her to see if she was safe even though she was out in the suburbs. She described watching the news like she was watching the TV show “Designated Survivor.”
“I’m an immigrant here and one of the things that brought me here is this is a country of law,” she added. “It’s scary that at the very top it got trampled.”
‘Honest mistake’: Heavily armed man arrested near U.S. Capitol
Police in Washington, D.C., have arrested a Virginia man who allegedly tried to pass through a security checkpoint with an “unauthorized” inauguration credential,a handgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition, according to officials. Wesley Allen Beeler, 31, of Front Royal, Virginia, was released on his own recognizance after a hearing Saturday. The Associated Press, citing a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity, reported that Beeler had a valid credential for inaugural events, though it was not issued by the government.
Beeler told the Washington Post that “it was an honest mistake.” He said he has been working as hired security in downtown Washington and forgot his firearm was in his truck when he left his home in Virginia.
“I pulled up to a checkpoint after getting lost in D.C. because I’m a country boy,” he said. “I showed them the inauguration badge that was given to me.”
At the U.S. Capitol: All quiet early Sunday
Around the U.S. Capitol on Sunday, barricades protected buildings while National Guard members patrolled the grounds and SUVs blocked the streets. To enter Pennsylvania Avenue, the public needed to enter security tents with bag checks and metal detectors. Law enforcement even flipped through reporters’ notebook pages. Barricades blocked any path toward the Capitol several blocks in front of the grounds.
Kamieh Hendley, 21, of San Diego, was in Washington for the first time since elementary school. She was amazed by the tightened security but not worried too much about violence Sunday morning.
“It’s kind of a shock to see all this,” she said. “If it does get rough, I’ll just go home.”
Biden’s home state readies for protests
Biden served as a senator from Delaware for more than a quarter-century, but Gov. John Carney is not assuming his state will be immune from pro-Trump protests. Carney has activated the National Guard to assist state and local law enforcement in keeping the peace if necessary. A 6-foot-tall fence has been constructed around Legislative Hall and traffic has been restricted. Delaware Capitol Police said that Capitol buildings “will be secured, and citizens can expect an increased visible law enforcement presence.”
– Nick Siano, Delaware News Journal
DC locked down as inauguration draws near
A wide swath of Washington, D.C., was in a virtual lockdown Sunday as the nation prepared for protests ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. More than 25,000 National Guard members are in place or headed to the city. The National Park Service shut down the entire National Mall, a panoramic 2 miles stretching from the Lincoln Memorial on the west end to the Capitol on the east. More than a dozen Metro commuter train stations have already closed, and the city’s historic core has been divided into a “red zone” for authorized vehicles only and a “green zone” allowing only vehicles of the area’s residents.
Mayor Muriel Bowser acknowledged the difficulties the lockdown creates for many businesses already struggling because of the pandemic. “We know this is very inconvenient,” Bowser said.
Postal Service pulls mailboxes out of some areas
The United States Postal Service has temporarily removed blue mail collection boxes in some areas of major cities and state Capitols as a security measure in more than dozen states ahead of the inauguration, USPS says. Boxes also have been removed around the U.S. Capitol.
“It’s part of our normal procedures to keep our employees and customers safe during times of protest or when large crowds are gathered near postal facilities, on postal routes, or by mailboxes,” Postal Service spokesperson Kim Frum told USA TODAY.
A look at security measures in place at some state capitols
►The Texas Department of Public Safety announced the closure of the state Capitol on Friday after uncovering new intelligence that prompted the agency to further tighten up security.
► The Kentucky Capitol grounds in Frankfort will be closed Sunday after “domestic terror threats against state capitols all over” the U.S., Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration announced.
► Michigan, which was targeted by armed anti-lockdown protesters earlier this year and an alleged extremist plot to kidnap its governor, activated its National Guard and was boarding up windows at state buildings.
► California Gov. Gavin Newsom mobilized 1,000 members of the National Guard as the state also erected a temporary chain link fence around its Capitol. The California Highway Patrol has refused to issue permits for rallies that had been planned there.
►Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis activated the Florida National Guard on Friday. Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered the state’s guard to prepare for potential activity. About 450 National Guard members in Pennsylvania will be among law enforcement at the state Capitol in Harrisburg, Gov. Tom Wolf said. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has activated 250 members of the Illinois National Guard. Plywood started going up at the state Capitol.
►New Jersey state employees have been ordered to work remotely the day of Biden’s inauguration, because of the “level of tension in the country,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said.
►The Kansas Statehouse will beef up security measures, closing down visitor access to parking, giving keycard access only through the visitor entrance and requiring those with keycard access to show badges. In Ohio, “several hundred” officers will be in the Capitol Square area Sunday.
Go in-depth: Why the National Guard’s absence at Capitol riots shows lack of preparation, distrust after heavy-handed BLM response.
More suspects arrested, charged after Capitol riot
Authorities around the country have arrested dozens of people who stormed the Capitol in the Jan. 6 riot, including a Dallas woman who said she’s a “normal person” who listened to her president. Jenna Ryan, 50, is accused of “knowingly” entering or remaining in the restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, according to a criminal complaint filed by the FBI in a Washington federal court. Prosecutors say she took a private jet to D.C.
Two other men, Robert L. Bauer of Kentucky and his cousin, Edward Hemenway of Winchester, Virginia, pleaded not guilty to trespassing and knowingly entering a restricted building or grounds. They appeared in federal court Friday.
Meanwhile, a federal judge in Washington has halted a plan to release and put on house arrest the Arkansas man photographed sitting at a desk in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office during last week’s riot at the U.S. Capitol. Richard Barnett will instead be brought to Washington, D.C., for proceedings in his case, Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ordered.
In Arizona, far-right social media personality Tim “Baked Alaska” Gionet posted bond on Friday, one day after a Scottsdale judge issued an arrest warrant when Gionet was a no-show for a City Court hearing on whether he had violated terms of a previous release by traveling to Washington, D.C., for what became the U.S. Capitol riot.
Scattered, small protests at state capitols on Saturday
A group of about a dozen supporters of President Donald Trump – some with “Trump 2020” hats, others wearing military garments – gathered outside the Texas Capitol gates Saturday afternoon. Some of the people outside the Capitol on Saturday wore protective vests and camouflage clothing. At least one man was seen carrying a rifle and another had a large knife and zip ties attached to his belt strap.
A “Save Our State” protest rally was scheduled for the Illinois State Capitol at noon Saturday. But soon after its scheduled start, two protesters were outnumbered by 10 members of the news media.
A small group of protesters gathered near the Nevada Capitol on Saturday. A handful of Capitol police watched as people stood with signs where protesters had been gathering on a weekly basis since last summer. Some of the participants were armed.
The Oregon State Capitol had two protesters: A woman holding a sign that said, “White supremacy is terrorism,” and a man carrying a sign that said, “Don’t impeach Trump.”
– Heather Osbourne, Austin American-Statesman; Capi Lynn, (Salem, Ore.) Statesman Journal; Brenden Moore, (Springfield, Ill.) State Journal-Register; Terell Wilkins, Jason Bean and Brian Duggan, Reno(Nevada) Gazette Journal
Contributing: Lindsay Schnell, Cara Richardson and Joel Shannon, USA TODAY.
2021-01-17 09:55:40