CNN watched the National Guards begin the removal process this weekend, and on Sunday, much of the black fence that had turned the complex into a fortress for nearly three months had been dismantled, paving the way for the typical corridor parade, cyclists and other visitors once again take advantage of the green space.
The removal will be a welcome change for an audience accustomed to having a generous amount of access to the land, something that quickly changed after the U.S. Capitol Police on January 6 temporarily lost control of the building to a pro-Trump crowd in a siege that left five dead.
In the weeks that followed, officials erected the fences – some of which were filled with barbed wire – and, in addition to dozens of guards and other security guards stationed around the perimeter, the only people allowed to enter the compound were legislators and officials, accompanied guests and members of the media.
In addition to the reopened land, some streets close to the complex also reopened this weekend to vehicle traffic.
The memo said the decision was reached because “there is no known and credible threat to Congress or the Capitol Complex that justifies the temporary security fence”.
The Capitol police force still believes it is operating in an environment of high threat due to the political climate and rising domestic violent extremism, according to an internal department email, but it also claims that there is no credible threat known to Congress. or the Capitol. The police said in the e-mail that the plans could change if the authorities became aware of new threats.
Among the many details to consider, one of the sources said, are a permanent fence around the Capitol, hundreds of new security officers – whether the National Guard or the presence of the military police – and new authorities for the District National Guard. Columbia being dispatched in emergency situations.