As on the dawn of an enemy charge, the political heart of the American federal capital these days has the appearance of an entrenched camp. Sunday, January 17, requisitioned tourist buses dump on the sidewalk dozens of soldiers, who rush into a hotel located a few streets from the White House. Incredulous onlookers photograph the army vehicles, concrete blocks and tall gates, topped with barbed wire, which block access to the arteries leading to the National Mall, the traditional place of large popular gatherings, and to Congress, where will be held Wednesday, January 20 the investiture ceremony of President-elect Joe Biden.
A few hundred meters from the first flight of gates that have been protecting the White House for weeks, a handful of anti-racist activists are flying flags with explicit messages “Fuck Trump” or “Black Lives Matter”. Apart from this semblance of a crowd, the broad avenues of Washington, closed to traffic, are even quieter and more empty than usual. More worrying too.
In camouflage uniforms and duly armed, the soldiers of the National Guard, coming from neighboring states and sometimes from further afield, took over the square. Twenty thousand of them are expected to be in the area when Mr. Biden takes the oath. This massive and unprecedented deployment, complemented by a strong police presence, is commensurate with the trauma experienced by the country on January 6, when hundreds of supporters of President Trump stormed the Capitol. Images of law enforcement overwhelmed by violent protesters, while soldiers stationed nearby were denied permission to intervene, stunned America.
Deterrent
Shaken by this episode, the authorities want to prevent any new excesses, while the FBI has warned of possible violence from radical groups before or during the inauguration of Mr. Biden. Sunday and Monday, a public holiday because of the day dedicated to Martin Luther King, were particularly feared. But the deterrent force obviously paid off. Over the weekend, only a few dozen pro-Trump activists and members of armed militias attempted rallies in front of several overprotected local capitals. No incidents were reported.
In Washington, nothing has been left to chance to keep potential troublemakers at bay. The bridges that connect the city to neighboring Virginia will be closed; thirteen metro stations are already inaccessible; apartment rental company Airbnb has canceled all reservations in the capital during the coming week; some hotels in town have done the same. Shops and institutions located in the political center are caulked behind large plywood; some dented planks have been in place since the anti-racist demonstrations of the spring, accentuating the air of desolation that hangs over these dead arteries.
Even before the explosion of violence on January 6, the investiture ceremony had been resized due to the Covid-19 pandemic: the military parade had been canceled and the hundreds of thousands of Americans, who customarily accompany this ritual democratic, asked to follow the speeches on television. Deprived of popular jubilation, Mr. Biden therefore inaugurates his mandate in an atmosphere weighed down by the fight against Covid-19 and the need for national reconciliation. Its two most pressing challenges.
