[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] Over the weekend leading up to the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on the 20th, Washington DC, where the inauguration ceremony will be held, has been completely locked down, and all 50 states have entered a state of tight security.
This is due to warnings that armed protests by Trump supporters are planned across the United States.
In the capital Washington DC, 20,000 National Guard troops?more than double the number deployed during the 2009 inauguration of the first Black president, Barack Obama?have been deployed, with reports indicating this number will increase to 25,000.
The National Mall in front of the Capitol, the inauguration venue, has already been closed off, restricting public access.
All subway stations near the National Mall connecting the White House and the Capitol have been shut down, and major roads within Washington DC have been blocked.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has warned of the possibility of armed protests by far-right groups at state capitols nationwide from the weekend of the 16th through the inauguration day on the 20th.
According to CNN, Florida and Maine have deployed National Guard troops around their state capitols.
Arizona, California, Michigan, and Virginia have installed barbed wire around their state capitols and taken additional measures to control protesters. Pennsylvania has even erected barriers.
Michigan, where heavily armed protesters stormed the Capitol last year, has banned firearms inside the Capitol, but concerns remain that this alone is insufficient.
As the entire nation enters a fortress-like defense posture to prevent a second Capitol breach, most protests are scheduled for Sunday the 17th.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
