Inauguration safety measures

National guard rolls out toward the Capitol after riots that occurred two weeks ago.

RIOTS-- SECURITY AT THEINAUGURATION WAS A TOP PRIORITY.THOUSANDS OF NATIONAL GUARDMEMBERS DEPLOYED TOWASHINGTON TO PROTECT THEINAUGURATION.

NEWSY'S PATRICKTERPSTRA HEADED OUT INTO THECITYTRANSFORMED INTO A FORTRESS.THE NATIONAL GUARD, 25 THOUSANDSTRONG NATFORMED AN ARMED CHAIN FOR BLOCKSAROUND THE CAPITOL.NOT A FRIENDLY SITE AT THISSTRANGE INAUGURATION.THE CLAMP DOWN TWO WEEKS AFTERTHE RAID ON THE CAPITOL,COMBINED WITH THE PANDEMIC KEPTTHE WELCOME MATROLLED UP.THIS YEAR, FLAGS BLANKETED THENATIONAL MALL, CLOSED TO THEPUBLIC.

THE DC MAYOR TOLDVISITORS TO STAY AWAY, AND THEYDID.VENDORS SELLING COMMEMORATIVESHIRTS WEREN'TFINDING MANY TAKERS.BEING AS THOUGH THIS IS ONE ISGOING TO BE VIRTUAL, WEMIGHT NOT MAKE AS MUCH AS WE DOON A REGULAR ONEAND THOSE WHO VENTURED TO THECAPITOL LARGELY LIVED NEARBY INACITY THAT VOTED OVERWHELMINGLYFOR THE NEW PRESIDENT.

] WE DIDNOT EXPECT YOU TO FEEL THIS MUCHDREAD THISWEEK.

WE ARE HAPPY THAT, YOUKNOW, TODAY IS INAUGURATIONDAY AND THAT WE HAVE A NEWPRESIDENT.

BUT IT'S STILL ALITTLE GLOOMYWE ARE AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN GETTO THE CAPITOL ON THE EAST SIDE,WE CAN HEAR THE SOUNDS OF THEINAUGURAL CEREMONY UNDERWAY ANDYET, AS WE LOOK AROUND WE SEEHARDLY ANYONE HERE.

POLICE, NEWSMEDIA, AND SOME SPECTATORS, ALLOUTNUMBERED BY MEMBERS OF THEGUARD.

BLACK LIVES MATTER PLAZA,AN EPICENTER OF PROTEST LASTSUMMER, WAS ONE OF THE FEW SPOTSTHE PUBLIC COULD GET CLOSETO THE WHITE HOUSE THOUGH STILLBLOCKS AWAY.WE FELT LIKE WE STILL HAD TOCOME OUT.UNLIKE TWO WEEKS AGO, SUPPORTERSOF NOW FORMERPRESIDENT TRUMP STAYED OUT OFSIGHT.

A FEW DEMONSTRATORSAND LOCALS HAD WORDS... :14 FROMMY VID I WILL SLACK YOU MORONS!OH PLEASE WOMAN.

GET OUT OF OURNEIGHBORHOOD!BUT, PEACE AND CALM HELD ON ADAY MANY FEARED IT MIGHT NOT.

(I HOPE THIS IS THE START OF A 2021 NEW YEAR, FRESH START.PATRICK TERPSTRA, NEWSY,WASHINGTON.THE KERN COUNTY DEMOCRATS HOSTEDA VIRTUAL