WASHINGTON — On Jan. 20, the 58th presidential inauguration will take place in the nation’s capital. During a briefing Friday, D.C. leaders and federal officials talked about the logistics for Inauguration Day.
“We are well prepared and ready for this inauguration,” said Brian Ebert, special agent in-charge with the United States Secret Service’s Washington Field Office.
Ebert said the Secret Service has been working closely with all local and federal agencies, which will help secure the areas where inauguration events will be held.
As President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office, many are expected to come and celebrate the occasion, while others may come to town to protest.
The District has received several applications from protests groups, and several of those permits have been granted for Freedom Plaza.
Speaking during a press conference at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Southwest, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said everyone was welcome in the nation’s capital, even those who plan to protest.
“We expect them to exercise their rights peacefully, and we’ll be prepared should anyone choose not to,” Bowser said.
Interim D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham said the city was monitoring social media.
“Some folks that are indicating on social media that they’re coming to shut down the inauguration or the events,” Newsham said. “[It] is something that we will be prepared for.”
Many streets will be closed around the National Mall and along the parade route. Ebert said the public should expect a robust security perimeter to protect against a number of threats.
“This will be multi-layered buffer zones around all our protected sites, as well as the motorcade routes and the parade route,” Ebert said.
Ebert said the perimeter of protected areas will be made up of police officers, national guardsman, Secret Service, Homeland Security agents and physical barriers. He didn’t elaborate on what would be used for physical barriers. New Year’s Eve, New York City used trash trucks full of sand to protect spectators from any potential attacks involving a vehicle.
The mayor said 5,000 National Guard members will be deployed for the inauguration. In securing the event, Bowser said she expected the District’s bill to reach $30 million. So far, the federal government has only allotted $19 million for the events, but Bowser expects the federal government to reimburse D.C. for the remaining $11 million.
D.C. also is reaching out to residents and businesses near the inauguration events, and has setup a website and a twitter account to help Washingtonians prepare for the big event.
