National Mall closed, postponed rehearsal of inauguration

The National Guard and the police are on the lookout in front of the Capitol in Washington, DC on the 16th (local time). Ahead of the inauguration ceremony of President Joe Biden on the 20th, Washington’s vigilance has been greatly strengthened. [AP=연합뉴스]

On the 16th (local time), a police chase took place on Highway 495 from Maryland, USA to Washington, DC. It was to call a pickup truck with a flag on the luggage compartment. It is feared that it may be the extreme right force that foretold violent protests ahead of the presidential inauguration ceremony on the 20th. Traffic police were deployed throughout the road leading to Washington.

The National Mall, which runs from Lincoln Memorial to Washington Monument to Capitol, was so crowded on weekends that even during the pandemic, there was no place to stop by the road. However, there were only people who passed by on this day. It is reminiscent of a’martial law inauguration ceremony’ where all parts of Washington are closed and full of soldiers.

At the request of the Presidential Secret Service, most of the National Mall area was closed from the 15th to the 21st, the day after the inauguration ceremony, and a 2-meter-high iron fence was placed around it. “It is the first time the National Mall has been closed since 1981, when inauguration ceremonies began to be held at the west entrance of the Capitol,” said Jim Benthat, a historian who studied the inauguration of the president. This inauguration ceremony is expected to be the smallest event since 1945, during World War II.

Currently, 13 subway stations in the city have been closed in Washington, and traffic to four major bridges from neighboring states has also been blocked. General vehicles have become impossible to operate, and only military vehicles carrying the National Guard are entering the city. The number of the National Guard, which currently stands at the level of 10,000, will increase to 25,000 by the night of the 19th.

Washington surrounded by iron fences. Graphic = Younghee Kim [email protected]

After the invasion of the mob on the 6th, a 2m high iron fence was placed on the 2km road around the Capitol. From two days ago, a’laser wire’ with a sharp blade resembling a razor blade was placed on the fence. Scott Craig, a middle school teacher, said, “I’ve lived in Washington for over 10 years, but I’ve never seen anything like this battlefield.” The rehearsal for the inauguration ceremony that was originally held at the Capitol on the 17th has been postponed, Politico said.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser replied, “Will the Washington area return to normal after the inauguration ceremony?” “It will return to New Normal.” Double fences and barricades, and the unfamiliar appearance of soldiers with guns walking around the city in groups can become Washington’s new normal.

On the 20th, when Biden’s inauguration is held, President Donald Trump plans to hold a separate grand relocation ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, NPR and CNN reported. Trump is scheduled to head for Florida on the last presidential aircraft Air Force One from Andrews Air Force Base this morning, and the source said that he will hold a major event at the airfield just before that.

CNN predicted that they could put on the red carpet, perform military bands, and give speeches listing their achievements over the four-year term. It is said that it will be the last event to enjoy as the military’s supreme commander in the reverberation of the’Hail to the Chief’ used as a presidential protocol. When the presidential hymn is played at the Capitol and at the Andrews Air Force Base, it symbolically shows that the presidential election was stained with a stain of dissatisfaction.

Trump is expected to depart before that, as he must obtain Biden’s permission to use Air Force One after noon on the 20th, when the presidential authority passes. Trump attendant boards Air Force One with a nuclear bag. The other nuclear bag goes to Biden, and the password changes at noon that day.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 16th that the nominee Ron Klein, head of the White House secretary, sent a memo to the new White House staff saying that Biden was going to proceed with the state affairs agenda at a rapid pace through an executive order for ten days after taking office. According to NYT, Klein cited Corona 19, economic recession, climate change, and racial inequality as four tasks Biden will address within 10 days of taking office. Specifically, Biden plans to sign 10 measures on the first day of his inauguration.

Biden said it would be mandatory to wear a mask in federal government facilities and expand diagnostic tests to respond to Corona 19. Biden said on the 15th, “(Vaccine distribution) is a terrible failure,” and said, “I will inoculate 100 million doses for 100 days after taking office.”

As a first step toward responding to climate change, which President Trump neglected, he plans to rejoin the Paris Climate Change Convention on the first day of his inauguration. It also said that it would lift the entry ban applied to some Islamic countries. In addition, one or two policies that supporters expect, such as strengthening’by America’ to encourage the purchase of U.S. products, reforming the criminal justice system, expanding access to medical services for the underprivileged, such as low-income and people of color, and improving immigration and border policies, every day for 10 days. I plan to announce each branch.

However, no foreign policy was specifically mentioned in the plan for 10 days or 100 days after taking office. At the beginning of his tenure, it is expected to focus on domestic tasks, and for the time being, the issue of the Korean peninsula is expected to be pushed back to the top.

Washington = Correspondents Park Hyun-young and Kim Pil-kyu [email protected]