Capitol Fence To Be Reinstalled Ahead Of President Joe Biden’s State Of The Union Address

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The fencing that surrounded the Capitol complex for much of 2021 will be reinstalled next week as Congress prepares to host President Joe Biden for his first State of the Union address on March 1.

U.S. Capitol Police are preparing for truckers protesting the mask and vaccine mandates as the ‘Freedom Convoy’ heads to Washington, D.C. after demonstrating in Canada for weeks and causing major blockades.

The protesters were able to block the Ambassador Bridge border crossing between Windsor and Detroit as they expressed their distaste for COVID-19 mandates related to mask-wearing and compulsory vaccinations.

Security officials are putting back up the fence around the Capitol in preparation for these protests to hit the nation’s Capitol just as Biden delivers his biggest speech of the year, Fox News reported on Sunday.

The U.S. has been loosening mask requirements and vaccination mandates ahead of the speech and as the 2022 midterm elections come underway after polling shows Americans are becoming less concerned with the coronavirus threat and more worried about economic, inflation, and tax issues – as well as education.

At least four blue states have ended their mask mandates for schools, a move the White House has condemned due to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines on indoor masking.

United States Capitol Police (USCP) released a statement Friday claiming they are ‘aware’ that trucker protesters are coming to D.D.c are preparing to ‘facilitate’ expression of the First Amendment while securing the Capitol for Biden’s address.

The fencing erection comes as anxiety over security on Capitol Hill continues following the January 6, 2021 attack that saw a handful killed and dozens to hundreds injured in the midst of Congress certifying the 2020 presidential election results.

USCP says they are working with several law enforcement agencies in the area as well as the D.C. National Guard to secure the complex before Biden’s first State of the Union.

‘The United States Capitol Police and the United States Secret Service have been closely working together to plan for the upcoming State of the Union,’ the agency said in a Friday statement.

‘Law enforcement agencies across the National Capital Region are aware of plans for a series of truck convoys arriving in Washington, DC around the time of the State of the Union,’ the statement said. ‘As with any demonstration, the USCP will facilitate lawful First Amendment activity.’

The continued fencing surrounding the Capitol last year gave rise to Republican criticism and claims that Democrats were trying to create a barrier between government and the people.

Democrats, mainly House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, insisted the fencing was a needed precaution following the January 6 riot.