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Washington, besieged capital

2021-01-18T22:40:56.911Z


A never-before-seen security operation shuts down the core of the United States to threats of violence from far-right groups


Almost 2,000 kilometers from the border with Mexico, the United States border police have another wall to protect.

They are the high fences, almost four meters, that have been erected in downtown Washington surrounding the Capitol just days after Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony as president.

The political heart of the country, the capital of the largest democracy in the West, is shielded from internal threats from far-right groups that threaten to carry out acts of violence after the assault on Congress on January 6.

The deployment of security is something never before seen by the inhabitants of the District of Columbia and the many tourists who visit the city to relive the epic of the so-called founding fathers and the freedoms pillars of the local culture.

In addition to the Border Patrol agents, downtown Washington is a sample of agents in various uniforms: soldiers, National Guards, Capitol police, the Secret Service, and the Capital Police.

More than 25,000 members of the Army reserve, more than double the number deployed in past inaugurations, have arrived from the states for Wednesday's ceremony.

A huge display for a city of 700,000 where Trump is immensely unpopular;

He only got 5.4% of the votes in November.

The mayor, Democrat Muriel Bowser, has said that this will be the new normal until at least Thursday, January 21, once the threats from extremists, to which the FBI gives credibility, dissipate.

"American troops should not be armed against their compatriots, but what we saw was an unprecedented attack on our democracy," Bowser said Sunday.

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"It's just amazing," said Courtney, who has lived here for 20 years.

She and her friend Pam, 60, had never seen anything like it.

These days are unexplored territory even for a city accustomed to state visits, international meetings, convoys of escort vehicles, patrols and security operations.

They both passed through the metal detector arches supervised by the secret police.

They went to take pictures to post on their social networks and convey to their friends what words cannot describe.

"This is not America," says Pam, surprised by the high-powered rifles of the military in the area.

That is one of the most repeated comments.

That the scene in the political epicenter of the United States is unworthy for this country.

On television, a national network correspondent has described it as a more Middle Eastern situation.

Baghdad's Green Zone comes to mind.

This is how they have described the many blocks that have remained within the fence of almost 12 square kilometers, just over 6% of the total area of ​​the city, which prevents the passage of vehicles and pedestrians to the National Mall, the large esplanade visited every year by more than 20 million people and where popular tourist attractions such as the Lincoln Memorial and the Natural History and Air and Space museums are located.

The authorities ask the general population to avoid traveling to the center.

If anyone wants to see the performances of Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez on Wednesday, do so on television, they have pointed out.

Otherwise it will be impossible.

Inside the security perimeter, the doors and windows of businesses are bricked up, something that was already common since June after the protests of the Black Lives Matter movement over the death of George Floyd.

There are no cars parked on those streets.

13 metro stations have been closed and the bus stops are deserted.

In the advertising marquees there are FBI posters asking for help to capture the insurgents of the Capitol.

The only vehicles on the asphalt are construction trucks crossed in the streets as barricades, patrol cars and military vehicles.

The virus had emptied the streets of Washington in 2020. Now it is fear that causes the images of the ghost town.

Only the curious, the homeless and teams of journalists from all over the world who come to document the unimaginable walk within the perimeter: the epicenter of freedom turned into a fortress.


"It's scary and it's very sad, unfortunately this is the state in which they have left the country," says Erin, 52 years old.

She is a small woman with long hair dyed blue.

He lives in the north of the capital, but walks south as part of his routine to exercise.

From this Monday he considers it forbidden territory.

"Why take the risk?" He asks himself.

Authorities detained a 31-year-old man on Saturday who had 500 bullets and a loaded gun that was not registered.

This Saturday a Connecticut woman was also arrested by Capitol Police for posing as an agent and "member of the Cabinet."

The only area within the perimeter where tension is not breathed is 16th Street between avenues H and K. In the one renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza, happiness is breathed by the numbered days that remain for the Trump Administration.

There the flags of groups aggrieved by the Republican wave: one of the rainbow of the LGTB community, the Pan-African flag and the Mexican one.

Loudspeakers spit out loud

FDT

, from Californian rapper YG: “

Fuck Donald Trump !, Fuck Donald Trump!

”.

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Source: elparis

All news articles on 2021-01-18

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