Washington: Permanent fencing would remain around the US Capitol – one of Washington’s top tourist attractions, and the home of both houses of Congress – under a controversial proposal by the police force in charge of protecting the building.
Yogananda Pittman, the acting chief of the Capitol Police, said on Friday (AEDT) that she believed fencing must be part of the permanent security infrastructure at the Capitol following the deadly riots on January 6.
The head of the US Capitol Police wants fencing, erected for Joe Biden’s inauguration, to become permanent. Credit:Bloomberg
A two-metre non-scalable fence topped with barbed wire was erected around the complex ahead of President Joe Biden’s inauguration and currently remains in place.
The idea of a permanent barrier has been criticised by politicians from both major parties who said that, while increased security is required at the Capitol, the so-called “people’s house” should not be walled off from the public.
While the White House has become increasingly fortified over recent years, the Capitol remained relatively accessible to both visitors and Washington locals.
“In light of recent events, I can unequivocally say that vast improvements to the physical security infrastructure must be made to include permanent fencing, and the availability of ready, back-up forces in close proximity to the Capitol,” Pittman said in a statement.
Security assessments from as far back as 2006 had recommended fencing, she said.
The US Capitol dome is seen past security fencing and barbed wire erected after the deadly January 6 riots.Credit:AP
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser was among those opposing the idea, saying: “If you’re asking our view, we want the city to be safe, we want all the institutions to be safe, but we don’t want extra troops or fences to be a long-term fixture.”
Democratic Senator Mark Warner said the idea of fencing around the Capitol was “heartbreaking”.
“Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Capitol was a site bustling with tourists, families, and visitors eager to learn about our democracy,” he said.
“It’s heartbreaking to see additional physical barriers go up after the violent protesters raided and desecrated the halls of Congress just three weeks ago.”
Republican congresswoman Elise Stefanik said she was “adamantly opposed” to the idea of a permanent fence around the 220-year-old building.
“This is the People’s House,” she said on Twitter. “There has been no threat briefing given to Members of Congress to justify this proposal.”
A controversial 2.6-metre security fence was erected around Australia’s Parliament House in 2017 after protesters scaled the building and unfurled a banner protesting the detention of asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru. Similar debate about public access to the building took place at the time.
Five people died in the January 6 violent insurrection at the US Capitol and two police officers deployed on the day later suicided. Police officers at the scene also suffered brain injuries, one lost an eye, others had cracked ribs and smashed spinal disks.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday (AEDT) said that Congress faced danger not just from outside agitators but their own members.
“The enemy is within,” she said, adding by way of example “It means that we have members of Congress who want to bring guns on the floor and have threatened violence on other members of Congress”.
The comments were in reference to incidents of armed Republicans setting off newly installed metal detectors and to newly elected Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who supported Facebook posts that advocated violence against Democrats and the FBI.
One post suggested shooting Pelosi in the head. In response to another post raising the prospect of hanging former president Barack Obama, Greene said that the “stage is being set”.
Some Democrats are pushing to have Greene expelled for the comments and others in which she berated the victims of the Parkland school shooting and falsely claimed it was a “false flag” attack.
Most Viewed in World
Source: Read Full Article
