Crews at the White House will begin building a “non-scalable” fence around the entire complex, the Ellipse and Lafayette Square Monday, according to a report.
Citing federal law enforcement, NBC News also reported Sunday that 250 National Guardsmen had been put on standby. The individuals will report to the DC Metropolitan Police.
The news comes in preparation for a wave of expected unrest in the wake of Tuesday’s election, with the potential for protests and violence raising alarm among academics, business owners, law enforcement, and others.
Police departments nationwide have begun warning their officers to prepare for deployment, while some of New York City’s fanciest high rises have hired armed guards to protect their buildings.
Protests devolving into violence in the Trump era is no new thing. This summer, thousands of demonstrators protesting the murder of George Floyd, as well as the murders of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, descended on cities across the nation.
The movement sparked a summer of protests calling for racial justice, but also resulted in violence and looting.
The Justice Department came down hard on cities this summer as protests grew violent, causing unrest from Portland, Ore., to Kenosha, Wis., to New York City.
Portland, along with Seattle, Wash., and New York City were labeled “anarchist jurisdictions” by the department, placing all three at risk of losing federal funding.
In the days after a video of Floyd’s death began to circulate, protests became so violent outside the White House that Secret Service agents were forced to take the first family down to a special bunker normally designed for use in terrorist attacks.
The White House did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment on the new fencing.
With Post Wires
