‘We are building a fortress’: Capitol police and thousands of troops are preparing for a chaotic inauguration

'Things have been absolutely nuts… Huge fences, concertina wire, it is surreal’

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 17: National Guard soldier head to the east front of the U.S. Capitol from the Capitol Visitors Center on January 17, 2021 in Washington, DC. After last week's riots at the U.S. Capitol Building, the FBI has warned of additional threats in the nation's capital and in all 50 states. According to reports, as many as 25,000 National Guard soldiers will be guarding the city as preparations are made for the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th U.S. President. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

During my junior year in college at the University of Southern California, I attended a semester in DC as part of my study program. In our welcome packet to the nation’s capitol, we were given a handout called "Reception Crashing".

The pamphlet explained how Washington DC comes alive at night with events and fundraisers, and how thousands of interns sneak into these parties. It was basically a guide on how to find the best parties, and how to get into them once you did. It included everything from attending events at Congress to how to waltz your way into an embassy party.

It was a brilliant way to meet America’s leaders. And I did. I met senators, congresspeople, ambassadors, and many high-level officials.

I fear those days are gone forever. The insurrection on 6 January changed everything for the foreseeable future. Not only was it an assault on the heart of the nation, it was also an assault on our democracy. Our open and free society, and laissez-faire approach to visitors and tours, not only in Washington DC but at capitols around the nation, is now under review due to safety concerns.

Today, in preparation for Joe Biden’s inauguration, the city looks like a war zone. There are more troops there than in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria combined. Capitol city police are working endless hours to protect American democracy.

One such police officer — Ben*, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of his job — told me that during the riots, he and his colleagues heralded the press to safety as the baying mob called for their blood and ripped away their cameras, destroying their equipment.

Ben explained, “Things have been absolutely nuts. By the time I get home, I’ve got blurry vision and just about fall asleep in my dinner… [With the] inauguration, we geared up for it earlier than expected and much heavier, all thanks to January 6th. We are building a fortress. Thousands of troops, huge fences, concertina wire, it is surreal.”

Ben said these security forces will be here for a good while, and there is no schedule as to when things will go back to normal. He appreciates all the restaurant and food donations that have come pouring in from DC businesses, he added; he and his fellow officers are working such long hours now that they stay in hotels at the end of the day rather than do long commutes home. As a relatively senior member of the team, he has been working almost around-the-clock, and even his wife says she hasn’t seen much of him since the riots.

Officers aren’t the only people to notice a difference in the city. DC resident Tom Sommers, a writer and data analyst and advocate for LGBTQ asylum seekers, resides in the Shaw neighborhood. When the attack happened, he watched on TV and then jumped on his bike to see history firsthand.

“At 4pm, I cycled to the National Mall — the Capitol seemed too dangerous — to see the damage and remnants from the Trump speech on the Ellipse. I saw rioters walking back to their cars and buses from the Capitol. They left mounds of trash and newspapers on the Ellipse. They were often carrying Trump flags and looked like misfits — reminding me of 1860s Civil War rebels, middle-aged men and their girlfriends and wives returning home, scraggly and scruffy," Sommers told me.

According to Sommers, today, DC feels akin to living in Baghdad. He explained how there are no cars on the streets and downtown is divided into green and red zones depending on their proximity to the Capitol and White House. There are military checkpoints at major street intersections, 25,000 National Guard troops throughout DC, businesses closed, and retailers and hotels gasping for revenue.

Sommers said: “Some of us are waiting for the next shoe to drop. We just want to get through tomorrow without an incident. There's fear of the inauguration taking place outdoors on the West Front of the Capitol – yet there's so much fencing and space between the West Front and where individuals can watch, it's nearly impossible to get within range. The National Mall has been closed for four or five days and many roads and bridges leading into DC are closed as of six this morning.”

Americans around the world are bracing themselves for the possibility of chaos at the inauguration. But many of us believe the rule of law and order will prevail. For Tom and Ben’s sake, I hope so.