The National Park Service has closed the Washington Monument, citing “credible threats to visitors and park resources” around the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.
Jeffrey Reinbold, the superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks, said those involved in the riots at the Capitol continue to threaten the upcoming inauguration, including the setup and execution of events that occur in park areas.
As a result, the National Park Service has suspended tours of the Washington Monument beginning today until Jan. 24, several days after Inauguration Day, and may implement other temporary closures within the National Mall and Memorial Parks, Reinbold said.
“Many of Us will return on January 19, 2021, carrying Our weapons, in support of Our nation’s resolve, towhich [sic] the world will never forget!!!” one person wrote on Parler, a site friendly to right-wing extremists. “We will come in numbers that no standing army or police agency can match.”
That post was one of dozens spotted by the Alethea Group, which tracks online threats and disinformation.
Various virtual fliers circulating on social media promise an “armed march” on Capitol Hill and in every state capital a few days before the inauguration.
Other posts promise violence on Inauguration Day itself.
One post encourages supporters to meet in D.C. specifically to prevent Biden from entering the White House.
It’s unclear how serious the threats of more violence are, but the continued determination of the president’s most die-hard supporters to fight what they incorrectly perceive as an unfair election has some members of Congress wondering: Will the insurrection continue? And how can they stop it?
The Washington Post reports that FBI agents are investigating whether some of the Capitol rioters intended not just to disrupt the certification of the Electoral College votes, but also to capture or kill lawmakers.
“Tell Pelosi we’re coming for that [expletive]!” one rioter screamed at law enforcement.
Others chanted, “Hang Mike Pence!”
Five people died in Wednesday’s violence, including a Capitol police officer.
The announcement to close the Washington Monument adds to what will be a highly unusual presidential inauguration, a historically packed celebration that was already set to be stymied this year by the coronavirus pandemic.
Far fewer tickets are available and Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington has asked people to stay home and participate virtually.
In permanently suspending President Trump from its platform, Twitter also noted that plans for future protests, including a secondary attack on the Capitol building on Jan. 17, had already spread on and off the website.
The National Mall in Washington is among the city’s most iconic sites, stretching from the foot of the Capitol building — where Biden is set to be inaugurated — to the Potomac River behind the Lincoln Memorial.
Spectators have long descended on Washington to witness the presidential inauguration.
The New York Times reported in 1861 that the city’s “streets were thronged with people” during the inauguration of President Abraham Lincoln.