Secret operation to protect Joe Biden’s inauguration to include 20,000 National Guard troops
A mind-blowing decision has been taken to protect Joe Biden’s inauguration next week, as the threat of violence ramps up in America.
A massive security operation – involving three times the number of US troops currently deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan combined – is being put in place to protect against violence at Joe Biden’s inauguration next week.
After a mob of Donald Trump supporters laid siege to the Capitol building last week – resulting in five deaths and exposing serious security failings – the US government has ramped up measures to prevent further violence.
Overnight, an unprecedented decision has been made to increase the number of National Guard members deployed in Washington during the inauguration from 15,000 to 20,000.
In comparison, there were 7800 US troops in D.C. for Inauguration 2017.
Already, hundreds of them are sleeping in the hallways of the Capitol building as part of a 24/7 operation to protect the heart of the US government.
This week the FBI warned that armed protests were being planned in all 50 state capitals in the US as well as Washington itself, in the lead-up to Mr Biden’s inauguration.
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“Armed protests are being planned at all 50 state capitals from 16 January through at least 20 January, and at the US Capitol from 17 January through 20 January,” the bulletin issued by the FBI read.
Despite the threat of further violence, Mr Biden told reporters this week that he intends to carry on as planned with the event – titled “America United” – and said he is not afraid to take the oath outside.
On top of the presence of the National Guard, he will be protected by local D.C. police, the Secret Service, Capitol Police and state police agencies will also be patrolling the area.
City officials are putting up a perimeter throughout the city’s downtown area, with barriers and barbed wire around the White House, the National Mall and the Capitol.
Mr Trump also declared a state of emergency in Washington, citing the “emergency conditions” of Mr Biden’s inauguration.
City officials are trying to keep people away from the inauguration, which was already scaled back due to the coronavirus pandemic. In order to travel through the perimeter, people will need to provide proof of essential purpose.
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The leaders of Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia issued a joint statement urging people to stay away from the inauguration and instead to watch it virtually.
“We will work together, and with our partners in the federal government, to ensure the safety of the National Capital Region,” they wrote. “Due to the unique circumstances surrounding the 59th Presidential Inauguration, including last week’s violent insurrection as well as the ongoing and deadly COVID-19 pandemic, we are taking the extraordinary step of encouraging Americans not to come to Washington.”
In a memo released on Monday, the FBI warned that an armed group has threatened to come to Washington D.C. on January 16 and stage a “huge uprising” if Mr Trump is removed from office before January 20.
The agency also warned that armed protests are being planned at all 50 state Capitol buildings on the day of Mr Biden’s inauguration, regardless of whether the states certified electoral votes for Mr Biden or Mr Trump.
Tech companies like Airbnb and Google are also ramping up efforts to prevent violence in Washington D.C. next week.
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Overnight, the homesharing platform put out word it is banning bookings in the US capital around the time of the inauguration after local authorities asked people to stay away following the attack on the Capitol.
“We are announcing that Airbnb will cancel reservations in the Washington D.C. metro area during the inauguration week,” and stop any new bookings, the company said in a statement.
Google joined the effort to curb new attacks, confirming it is temporarily halting political ads on its platform starting on Thursday and at least until the day after Mr Biden is inaugurated.
It will also decline ads referencing impeachment, the inauguration or protests at the US Capitol.
“We regularly pause ads over unpredictable, ‘sensitive’ events when ads can be used to exploit the event or amplify misleading information,” Google said.
The company sent a letter to advertisers explaining the hiatus on political ads, saying there would be no exemptions for news or merchandise.
The suspension will apply across its sites, including video-sharing platform YouTube and Google Ads network, the Silicon Valley company told advertisers in the letter seen by AFP.
“We will carefully examine a number of factors before deciding to lift this policy for advertisers and share updates as we have them,” Google said in the letter.
– with AFP
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