United States officials have ordered Capitol police to reinstall the fence around the building prior to President Joe Biden's State of the Union address later this week amid the threat of the "Freedom Convoy" taking inspiration from its Canadian counterpart.
In an announcement on Sunday, Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said that an inner-perimeter fence was to be installed around the Capitol for Tuesday's address. The official said that the decision to reinstall the defensive barrier was made out of an abundance of caution and was in cooperation with the United States Secret Service.
State of the Union Address
The chief's remarks noted that his Department's mission was to protect the United States Congress, the Capitol, and the legislative process, which remained unwavering. Manger noted that there was a possibility of a demonstration in the following weeks. He added they were working with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to create a security plan.
The plan would be designed to prevent any form of disruption attempt to the important work of Congress. Authorities are also planning to increase security details amid rumors that truck convoys could be arriving in Washington, as per The Hill.
In recent weeks, truckers closed off parts of Ottawa as part of their protests against the country's coronavirus mandates. The demonstrations resonated with some residents in the U.S., with the Capitol Police announcing earlier this month that agencies were aware of plans of truck convoys to travel to Washington.
On Feb. 23, the "People's Convoy," a U.S.-based group of activists, left Southern California for a cross-country trip. The convoy plans to arrive in the region on Mar. 5, but organizers have said that they wanted to target the Beltway and block it, instead of traveling into the city.
According to the Washington Post, social media platforms have recently become home to a number of spinoffs, including groups that said they planned to meet with the People's Convoy and others wanting to travel to D.C. The various routes, dates, and organizers have placed authorities in a precarious situation.
Truckers' Convoy
The temporary fencing was previously installed ahead of a rally last September where protesters supported Jan. 6 defendants. Last April, congressional security officials have discussed plans to reinstall the barriers over the verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was convicted in the murder of George Floyd.
Furthermore, some Republican lawmakers have shared their support of the Canadian truckers convoy with their own voicing of opposition to Biden's vaccine mandates. One of the groups filed a permit with the National Park Service for a Mar. 1 protest that was planned to be held next to the Washington Monument. The group claimed to have had up to 3,000 demonstrators who supported the Canadian trucker protests against vaccine mandates.
Officials from the Pentagon authorized as many 700 National Guard personnel to support the Metropolitan Police and the Capitol Police in an unarmed capacity through Mar. 7. On Sunday Capitol Police also said that they would close off some roads around the Capitol in preparation for Biden's address, Politico reported.
Related Article:
Barr's New Memoir Criticizes Trump, Says Former President is 'Unfit' To Lead
