The mayor of Washington, DC, asked federal officials to revoke demonstration permits and make plans to protect federal properties around Inauguration Day “given the emerging threats of insurgent acts from domestic terrorists.”
Mayor Muriel Bowser asked Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, to cancel permits for public gatherings for the next two weeks, January 11 to January 24. the nation’s capital, ”Bowser wrote in a letter Saturday, days after a stunning riot at the US Capitol Building.
In addition, the mayor asked federal officials to extend the “national special security event” period from January 11 to January 24, instead of the current January 19 to January 21. The extension will allow local and federal officials to better prepare for Inauguration Day, she wrote. DC urged DHS to get permission from Congress to include the Capitol and its grounds in the security perimeter.
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DC asked for an explanation before the disaster and urged DHS to coordinate with Congress, the Department of Justice and the Supreme Court to protect federal properties so DC officers can focus on DC local land.
“Earlier this week, MPD agents acted heroically to support the Capitol Police in stopping the attack on the Capitol,” she wrote. “Consistent with established protocols and practices, it is the primary responsibility of the federal government to safeguard federal property in these situations.”
The permits issued or processed by the National Mall include seven permits for crowds from two to 5,000 people. Two groups identify as pro-Trump or anti-inaugural.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this evolving story.