Urges Americans to Stay Home and Participate Virtually
THE AFRICA BAZAAR STAFF
January 11, 2021
In the aftermath of the mob riots that took place at the Capitol Hill on Jan. 6, District of Columbia Mayor has requested the federal government heighten security plans for the upcoming Biden-Harris inauguration day and urged Americans to stay home and participate virtually in the ceremony.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Mayor Muriel Bowser of D.C. said the current goal is not to have a repeat of the violent event that took place last week at the Capitol Hill by having all-hands-on-deck-approach joint federal and state security plans that will protect the nation’s capital and the perimeters surrounding the Capitol Hill, the White House as well as other federal buildings and monuments within the D.C. proximity.
“Our goals, right now, are to encourage Americans to participate virtually, and to protect the District of Columbia from our repeat of the violent insurrection experienced at the Capitol and its grounds on January 6,” said Mayor Bowser.
Bowser said she sent a letter on Sunday to the Department of Homeland Security‘s Acting Secretary Chad Wolf regarding inauguration preparation, requesting that the national special security event period be extended from Monday through Sunday, Jan, 24. The initial plans had called for two days, Jan. 19- 20 , the day before and the inauguration day.
The Mayor urged the Homeland Security to coordinate with other federal agencies, including the Defense, Justice Department, the Congress and the Supreme Court to set up a security and federal force deployment plan that will ensure that the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department‘s ability to focus on its local mission in all eight Ward’s remains possible.
She also requested that the Attorney General at the Department of Justice “to go back the Federal Bureau of Investigation to provide an intelligent and run prior to the inauguration day. Further I’m requesting the Secretary of the Department of the Interior cancel any and all public gathering permits in the District of Columbia, and deny any applications for public gathering during the period January 11 through January 24.”
