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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| Washington D.C. braces for civil unrest by erecting riot fences and boarding up business prior to Election Day |
| 2024-11-04 |
| [Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Businesses are boarding up in Washington as the capital braces for Tuesday's knife-edge presidential election - and any potential repeat of the shocking violence that erupted in the wake of 2020's vote. City authorities have warned of a 'fluid, unpredictable security environment' in the days and possibly weeks after the polls close, adding that they do not expect a winner between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump to be declared on Election Day. The specter of January 6, 2021, the day that Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol, seeking to overturn the former president's election loss to Joe Biden - hangs heavy over the preparations. Rings of fencing now envelope the White House, U.S. Capitol building and Vice President Kamala Harris's residence. 'Honestly, it's just fear,' Jones said. 'I'm getting constant emails and text messages because people are really engaged. … People would rather be overprepared and have nothing happen, as opposed to the alternative. 'At a time when we are trying to revitalize, especially our downtown core, what we don't want is destruction of property that discourages folks from coming back to the city, or that creates a situation where we are trying to rebuild those areas,' Jones said. Around the corner from the White House workers have been hammering fresh-smelling plywood into place at several businesses along Pennsylvania Avenue and Treasury Department complex. Some businesses and property owners are bracing for the worst and reinforcing windows and entrances at street-level in case there's any looting or rioting. A 8ft high security fence cuts across leafy Lafayette Park, in front of the presidential mansion, with barricades stacked up behind it as construction workers have been laboring in unseasonably warm fall weather to build the stand that will form part of the ceremonies for the inauguration. The work usually begins in November but during the Capitol riot, workers had to flee as Trump supporters swarmed the steps of the seat of Congress. This year, the National Park Service said, construction began a month early 'to accommodate additional time needed for a safer and more secure environment for construction activities.' Rodriguez, speaking during the city council briefing, warned especially of disinformation on social media in the days and weeks to come that could impact safety in the capital city. International events such as Israel's war in Gaza add a 'layer of complexity... which could yield political violence,' he said. The FBI said it was setting up a command post to monitor threats, while the Secret Service -- the agency tasked with protecting presidents, their families and high-level officials -- said it would 'enhance our security posture if necessary.' 'The Secret Service is working closely with federal, state and local partners in Washington, DC and Palm Beach County, Florida to ensure heightened levels of Election Day safety and security,' the agency said in a statement on Sunday. |
| Posted by:Skidmark |
| #5 Why are cities dominated by the Donks such dangerous places? |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2024-11-04 14:55 |
| #4 Our feral yoof might show up for festivities at polling places. |
| Posted by: Gromble+Dribble4342 2024-11-04 13:35 |
| #3 So the gov is planning on a BIG CHEAT? |
| Posted by: 3dc 2024-11-04 11:33 |
| #2 New security fences seen around key DC sites ahead of Election Day |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2024-11-04 11:11 |
| #1 DOJ invokes Civil War-era law in warning federal agents not to respond to polling places with guns |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2024-11-04 08:10 |