- January 11, 2021
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National Guard to deploy 10,000 Troops in Washington for Biden’s Inauguration Day
The US security officials have warned of expected continued demonstration plans after the deadly pro-Trump mob attacks on the US Congress. At least 10,000 US National Guard troops will be deployed to Washington DC ahead of Inauguration Day. Point to be noted that more than 6,200 National Guard troops are already present in the city. These troops were deployed after rioters supporting President Donald Trump breached security measures and clashed with the city’s badly-outnumbered police. The incident caused injuring 14 and resulting in the death of a USCP officer Brian Sicknick. He died as a result of injuries sustained during the attacks. The Chief of National Guard said that he was already authorized to deploy as many as 15,000 guard members.
However, the exact figures were changing by the hour. The move would include some 5,000 National Guard members from additional states. They will perform their duties in the nation’s capital during special events and emergencies. President-elect Joe Biden has assured Americans that he was confident in the security measures that would allow him to go forward with the swearing-in ceremony in the footsteps of the Capitol. The Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser called on Americans to avoid attending celebrations throughout the city. She said, “Trumpism won’t die on January 20th. Our goals right now are to encourage Americans to participate virtually and to protect the District of Columbia from a repeat of the violent insurrection experienced at the Capitol and its grounds on January 6th”.
Last week, hundreds of protesters clashed with police officers and it left a United States Capitol Police officer dead. It is noteworthy that the city has called on the Trump administration to cancel all public gathering permits until 4 days after the inauguration. Some reports have indicated that demonstrators were planning more ‘Stop the Steal’ events across the country. Bowser suggested she was confident the Inauguration ceremony would go as planned. She said, “If I’m scared of anything, it’s for our democracy because we have very extreme factions in our country that are armed and dangerous”. Inauguration Day has been declared a special national security event. The Secret Service also takes a leadership role in fortifying the Inauguration Day ceremonies, with assistance from the Park and Capitol police departments.