Ring of Steel Installed Around White House As Police Brace for Violence - Newsweek

Authorities have erected new security fencing around the White House and other buildings in Washington, D.C., on Sunday as the nation's capital braces for possible unrest on and after Election Day.

The Secret Service put up eight-foot metal fences around the White House, U.S. Capitol, Treasury Department complex and Vice President Kamala Harris' residence at the U.S. Naval Observatory, The Washington Post first reported.

A spokesperson for the Secret Service said fencing and other "physical public safety measures" would be installed around the buildings.

"The Secret Service is working closely with federal, state and local partners in Washington, DC and Palm Beach County, Florida to ensure heightened levels of Election Day safety and security," a Secret Service spokesperson told Newsweek. "These enhancements are not in response to any specific issue but are part of wide ranging public safety preparations for Tuesday's election."

The Secret Service will also install security fences outside the convention center in West Palm Beach, Florida, where former President Donald Trump will hold an election night party not far from his Mar-a-Lago residence.

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced road closures and parking restrictions in Washington because of Harris' election night watch party at her alma mater, Howard University, in the city's Shaw neighborhood.

Videos and photos posted on social media also show that some businesses in the nation's capital have been boarded up ahead of Election Day.

The measures come nearly four years after former President Donald Trump's refusal to accept the 2020 election results led a mob of his supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol in a violent bid to stop the certification of President Joe Biden's victory.

The MPD "is working closely with our local, state, and federal partners as we prepare for the 2024 presidential election and inauguration," a department spokesperson told Newsweek.

"As with any other events in the District, it is our priority to ensure the safety and security of District residents and visitors."

The spokesperson added: "We recognize the importance of upholding the First Amendment rights of individuals to peacefully express their views, and we are committed to facilitating lawful demonstrations while maintaining public order. While there has been no indication of any large-scale protests, events, demonstrations, or violent activities, MPD encourages the public to remain vigilant."

D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith said last week that the department had not identified any credible threats of violence and there was "no need for any alarm."

But she said the entire police department would be fully mobilized through at least Election Day. All eligible 3,300 officers will be working 12-hour shifts "to ensure that we have enough officers on the street and in every corner of the District," Smith told reporters during a press conference on 29 October.

Smith said that while protests are permitted, police would respond to any violent behavior.

"As always, the Metropolitan Police Department supports individuals peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights, but I want to be very clear, we will not tolerate any violence of any kind," Smith said.

"We will not tolerate any riots. We will not tolerate the destruction of property. We will not tolerate any unlawful behavior. Offenders will be arrested and will be held accountable."

Meanwhile, the National Park Service closed parts of Lafayette Park and the White House sidewalks last month in preparation for Inauguration Day in January.

Construction typically begins in November, but the parks service said work began on October 1 this year "to accommodate additional time needed for a safer and more secure environment for construction activities."

The closures are expected to remain in place through February 2025.

Update 11/4/24, 10:45 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with a comment from a Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson.