“VISIBLE” SHOW OF FORCE
Rodriguez, speaking during the city council briefing, warned especially of disinformation on social media in the days and weeks to come that could impact safety in the capital city.
International events such as Israel’s war in Gaza add a “layer of complexity … which could yield political violence”, he said.
The FBI said it was setting up a command post to monitor threats, while the Secret Service – the agency tasked with protecting presidents, their families and high-level officials – said it would “enhance our security posture if necessary”.
The Capitol Police, many of whose members were wounded during the Jan 6 attack, would not comment on its security preparations to AFP, though Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser told a press conference that they were “prepared”.
No “credible threat” to target Washington during the election period has yet been identified, Washington’s police chief Pamela Smith told a briefing.
Police would support peaceful protests, she said, but “we will not tolerate any violence of any kind”.
“We will not tolerate any riots, we will not tolerate the destruction of property, we will not tolerate any unlawful behavior,” she said.
She promised a “visible” show of force in the city in the coming days and weeks – culminating in some 4,000 reinforcements for Inauguration Day on Jan 20.
On Friday, tourists crowded a spot on the Ellipse – the park in front of the White House where Trump told his supporters on Jan 6 to “fight like hell” – that allowed for a view of the White House.
“Look at the guns,” muttered one, as armed Secret Service agents stood silently before the barricades.
