As election day arrived in the United States on November 5, 2024, many businesses and buildings in Washington DC presented a boarded-up façade, even though they remained open to the public. This was a precaution, keeping in mind the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol in the political heart of America.
Ahead of this election day, many rating surveys showed an extremely tight race for the two candidates — incumbent US Vice-President and Democratic Party nominee Kamala Harris, and former president and Republican Party nominee Donald Trump.
Trump had refused to accept the result of the 2020 elections, which he had lost to present US President Joe Biden. His angry supporters — a huge mob — attacked the US Capitol. They “stormed Congress in a bid to thwart the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory”, said a BBC report in August 2023, when Trump was charged for his role in inciting the riot.
The threat of violence lurked even now, as America voted. A Reuters report said: “U.S. Capitol Police on Tuesday arrested a man at the visitors center who smelled like fuel and was carrying a torch and a flare gun, police said in a statement.”
Press Trust of India found signs of precaution in many places of Washington DC on Tuesday.
Just a few blocks away from the White House, on 17th street, the McDonald’s outlet looked unusual. It was all boarded up from outside, and there was a cutout on the door reassuring visitors that it was open for business. Several cafes and restaurants were also boarded up from outside, but still promised they were open.
Caroline Pollak, a resident of Virginia, came to visit Washington DC on Tuesday and found the whole thing very strange. “I went to a coffee shop down the road. They have boarded [up] all the windows just as a precautionary measure. But it is all sad, why should anybody have to do that,” she said.
Along Pennsylvania Avenue and surrounding streets near the White House, the sound of power tools echoed through the streets, as workers installed protective plywood barriers, creating an unusual atmosphere in the nation’s capital.
Parena Bread is a famous cafe on Pennsylvania Avenue and similar boarded-up scenes could be seen here, too. The windows were completely blocked. The staff at the cafe said that the building had taken these measures as a precaution.
Government buildings were also boarded or fenced. At the United States post office building on Pennsylvania Avenue, workers were seen placing large plywood sheets and creating a cover from outside.
Paul Mier, who works in the neighbourhood, said, “Who knows what will happen? There are obviously issues with what happened in the last election. It is sad to see businesses having to react to situations like this. But I guess nobody wants to take the risk.”
The White House and other federal buildings have implemented heightened security measures.
Metal barriers and security fencing now surround the White House complex. Additional fencing has been installed around the US Vice-President’s residence at the Naval Observatory. The Secret Service is co-ordinating with federal, state, and local partners to ensure enhanced security.
Phoebe Emm, a student in Washington DC, said that the nation was still traumatised by what happened last time in the elections, and the precautions were for that.
“This past week, we have not been able to walk up to the fence; they are setting up the inauguration stage for that and there are security barricades. We have to keep a safe distance. I am really anxious about the elections; it is too close for comfort to be excited,” she said.
Hank Thomas is a DC resident who runs a venture capital firm and keeps coming to the White House on and off. He said, “Groups come to DC and protest, but then [they] become violent and cause damage. I hate seeing damage to things that people pay taxes for.”
—With inputs by CtoI News Desk
