An effort by the Capitol Police Department to make permanent fences around the Capitol after the January 6 rebellion is facing rapid reaction from members of Congress and the public.
Detractors in and around Washington, DC, are warning against the symbolism of permanent fences around the building. Lawmakers say maintaining a barrier around “Casa do Povo” is against a message of transparency and accountability to its voters.
“Permanent fencing would send the wrong message to the nation and the world, by making our democracy accessible and of the people into one that is exclusive and fearful of its citizens,” Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton
Eleanor Holmes NortonBowser says DC will “not accept” permanent fences around the Capitol. DC could win votes in the U.S. House if it tries to increase 9/11 style panel calls to investigate the attack on the Capitol MORE (D), the only member of the DC House, wrote in a letter to the police this week.
Norton tore up the proposal, saying it would not solve the Capitol security problem that erupted during this month’s riot. Instead, she called it “another form of security theater”, saying “it would make Capitol ‘look’ safe, but mask the lack of state-of-the-art security measures that could actually prevent attacks in the future.”
Several other lawmakers echoed similar sentiments against making the fence erected around the Capitol grounds permanent.
“I strongly oppose this action. A fence did not fail us. Law enforcement leaders do. I believe that we can keep the deputies, the press, the staff, my constituents and everyone who works here safely, without blocking the symbol of our democracy. It’s the People’s House – let’s keep it that way, ”Rep. Jennifer Wexton
Jennifer Lynn WextonPorter loses seat on the House panel that oversees the financial sector Democratic lawmakers ask Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump from office 7 surprise moments from a tumultuous year in politics MORE (D-Va.) Tweeted this week.
I strongly oppose this action.
A fence did not fail us. Police leaders do.
I believe that we can keep MPs, the press, staff, my constituents and everyone who works here safely, without blocking the symbol of our democracy.
It’s the People’s House – let’s keep it that way. https://t.co/JESNACPwve
– Rep. Jennifer Wexton (@RepWexton) January 28, 2021
Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.) tweeted it would be a “mistake to turn our democracy’s house into a fortress” and to call for the complex to remain open to “constituents, the press and visitors”.
“This is the People’s House. I am adamantly against it, ” added GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik
Elise Marie StefanikHouse Republicans ask for information about threats to keep the National Guard in DC Lincoln Project reaches Stefanik in a new announcement on support for Trump Wyoming county votes to censor Liz Cheney for Trump’s impeachment vote MORE (NEW YORK). “There was no threat briefing given to members of Congress to justify this proposal.”
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser
Muriel BowserScrutiny grows with the presence of the National Guard in Capitol The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Which path will Democrats follow in the COVID-19 bill? Bowser says DC ‘won’t accept’ permanent fences around Capitol PLUS (D) took an uncompromising stance against the fence on Thursday afternoon, saying that the district “would not accept” the permanent fence “as a long-term fixture in DC”.
The reprimands came after the capitol police chief, Yogananda Pittman, asked for a fence to become permanent around the capitol to prevent further violence after the January 6 riot, which left several people dead.
The looting of the Capitol undermined the confidence of city legislators and officials in Capitol security measures, after the police seemed terribly unprepared for the crowd, despite knowing in advance that the encounter could turn violent.
The events spawned a series of new security measures, including an enhanced law enforcement presence, plus physical obstacles, including the fence, as well as the dispatch of some 25,000 National Guard soldiers to protect the opening procedures on January 20. .
Several journalists covering the Capitol acknowledged the security breaches that occurred during the insurrection, but also expressed alarm about how the permanent fence would reduce accessibility to the Capitol.
“There is no doubt that the failure to establish a perimeter around the Capitol complex was a huge failure (if not the central one) on January 6. But it is worth considering what we can symbolically lose by placing a permanent fence around Casa do Povo, ” tweeted MSNBC’s Kasie Hunt.
“One of the best things for DC residents and millions of visitors is the public space in and around the Capitol. It will be a sad day if this ends, ” added Abby Phillip of CNN. “But also, what is being done about the intelligence failure that allowed this attack to happen in the first place?”