Some of the fencing in Washington DC that was put up ahead of US President Joe Biden’s inauguration has been removed, but the Capitol Hill area is still fenced off, a Sputnik correspondent reports.
The fences around the White House and the concrete blocks placed on intersections have been removed. K Street has been cleared, as well as I Street, which is now open to traffic.
The Capitol Hill is still fenced off, as well as the territory around the Supreme Court. The fencing ends at Pennsylvania Avenue.
At Least 5,000 US National Guard Troops to Stay in DC Through Mid-March - Report
In the wake of the January 6 protests at the Capitol, some 25,000 National Guard troops were dispatched to Washington, following Trump supporters' storming of the building to prevent Joe Biden's victory certification. The fears of mass demonstrations linger, as the House impeached Trump and charged him with "willful incitement of insurrection".
The pending Senate impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump is a security issue that federal law enforcement officials told lawmakers last week that as many as 5,000 National Guard troops would need to stay in Washington until mid-March, Politico reported Sunday, citing sources.
The contingency force will reportedly help defend the Capitol from "impeachment security concerns," including the prospect of mass protests coinciding with the trial of the Senate, expected to start on the week of February 8.
According to the report, the soldiers on the ground have been given few details about the extension has been provided and wonder why they are being forced to endure combat-like conditions without a specific mission in the nation's capital. Up to the beginning of February, about 7,000 troops will continue to provide riot protection, with that number declining marginally to 5,000 by the time Trump's impeachment trial starts.
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