Din recent days, downtown Washington has been strangely silent. There are no cars, no tourists, no hat or pretzel vendors, not even many pedestrians. The only noise in the deserted streets is that of the saws and hammers of the workers who barricaded the last shops with boards. Pennsylvania Avenue, the bustling major thoroughfare where the inauguration day presidential parade traditionally takes place, has been decorated with flags. But traffic is prohibited there, the sidewalks are bordered by a row of double metal barriers and even more unprecedented, at the beginning of the afternoon, there is not a cat apart from a few cyclists delighted to have the ‘avenue on their own.
In front of a hotel, a troop of national guards in camouflage uniforms. “It’s a funny atmosphere,” comments a lady who comes out of an office building. “We don’t know if it’s scary or reassuring. A huge perimeter in the city center – much larger than during pro-Trump or pro-Black Lives Matter protests in recent months – has been closed to traffic and protected by all kinds of concrete security barriers, points, palisades … At each crossroads, a police car blocks the way. Up to the Vice-President’s residence, a large property quite far from the center, where a temporary fence has been erected, in addition to the existing gates. Inside the Capitol, photos of soldiers resting in combat gear have toured the world. It feels like a country at war.
And it’s not just an impression. Washington is once again preparing for a series of protests organized by supporters of Donald Trump and far-right militias. To avoid, like last week, uncontrolled overflows and the storming of the Capitol, the authorities have mobilized more than 20,000 national guards to which are added the local police, the Capitol police, the FBI … They are supposed to ensure an investiture and a peaceful transfer of power.
But the Capitol transformed into a fortified zone does not give a very serene image of American democracy. In addition to the concrete parapets and large wire fences that even prevent pedestrians from entering the streets, hundreds of sentries equipped with assault rifles and bulletproof vests stand guard at regular intervals.
Usually, security is not reinforced so early before the nomination, but this year, there are fears of demonstrations as of this weekend. The FBI has identified “a large amount of online exchanges,” according to its director, and is busy determining what the serious threats are. “Clearly, we are in uncharted waters,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser at a press conference, strongly encouraging the population to stay at home.
Canceled Airbnb reservations
The fear of violence is such that there is also talk of banning access to the National Mall, the huge esplanade in front of the Capitol where traditionally hundreds of thousands of people gather to celebrate the inauguration of the new president. And the metro is planning to close 13 stations. This will complete the blockade of the already paralyzed city.
Airbnb, for its part, announced that it was canceling all reservations in Washington until the nomination. A hotel union and activist groups are calling on hotels to close over the period. Protesters pose a risk of violence, they say, but are also a threat to the health of hotel staff, as many refuse to wear masks.
If we are to believe the discussions online, the massive police mobilization seems to have had a deterrent effect. There is a conspiracy theory circulating on social media that the protests were in fact organized behind the scenes by federal authorities and the police in an attempt to arrest supporters of Donald Trump. Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys, a far-right militia, warned his troops against coming to Washington because it could be a “trap”. For once a conspiracy theory would be good … Will they all believe it? In the meantime, Washington has six long days of a state of siege ahead of it.
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