Washington – Pending further unrest in the run-up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser said on Sunday that she is asking the federal government for additional security preparations to ensure the safety of the event and the district to ensure. .
In an interview with “Face the Nation”, Bowser said this year’s inauguration must be unlike any other in the country’s history.
“I request the US Department of Homeland Security to take additional steps, including extending the duration of this national special security event,” said Bowser. “I also ask that they extend the perimeter of their coverage for this special national security event, the inauguration, to include the Capitol.”
Bowser said she will also send a letter to Mr. Trump requesting a pre-disaster emergency declaration for the District of Columbia ahead of the inauguration, which will allow for additional federal coordination.
In her letter to Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, Bowser asked the agency to extend the “National Security Special Event Period” from January 11 to January 24. It is currently fixed for a period from January 19 to January 21.
Wednesday’s attack on the Capitol, which allowed a pro-Trump gang to get past Capitol Police and through security barriers to storm the Capitol, has sparked outrage at the lack of preparedness in responding to the crowd. Their attack on the Capitol caused lawmakers to flee the House and Senate chambers, and Vice President Mike Pence was taken from the Senate floor, where he followed the debate over Arizona’s election results. Five people died in the battle.
Prior to the January 6 protest, Bowser asked for support from the DC National Guard, and the Pentagon activated 340 members. Following the attack on the Capitol, a total of 6,200 National Guard members from six states in the Northeast have been activated to assist law enforcement in Washington until after its inauguration.
Federal prosecutors have announced charges against at least 17 people, while dozens of others have been charged in higher court for their actions during the assault on the Capitol. Law enforcement is in the process of identifying those involved.
Bowser said some of the Trump supporters accused of the Capitol had received formal training.
“What we’ve seen is real domestic terrorism in our country’s capital, and that’s what we should call it,” she said. “Those we saw attacking the Capitol were in many cases trained people, former military personnel, former law enforcement officers. I think we can find other trained people trained in marching and advancing and besieging buildings. So we have to take it seriously. ‘