House Sergeant at Arms William Walker announced on Wednesday that the remainder of the fencing around the Capitol will be removed starting as soon as Friday.
The fencing — which was put up shortly after the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, when attendees of a nearby pro-Trump rally attempted to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election results — will take three days to come down.
Walker cited the Capitol Police’s assessment showing a lower threat level than earlier this year, noting that it will “monitor intelligence information and the associated threat environment” moving forward.
“Based on USCP’s assessment of the current threat environment and USCP’s enhanced coordination with District of Columbia, neighboring state and federal law enforcement partners, the Board supports USCP’s recommendation to remove the temporary fencing around Capitol Square,” the notice sent to members and staff said.
He noted that the Architect of the Capitol has the ability to reinstall temporary fencing in the event of heightened threats in the future.
The remaining fencing that has surrounded the US Capitol following the January 6 riot will come down sometime this week. Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesThen in April, a Nation of Islam-following maniac slammed his car into two US Capitol Police officers — killing one — before he was shot dead by police while running at them with a knife, officials said.
The slain cop was identified by the Capitol Police as William “Billy” Evans, an 18-year veteran of the force and a member of its First Responders Unit.
The Capitol Police previously requested the fencing remain up until September in the wake of the riot as the security shortcomings continue to be investigated.
Most visitors are still not allowed inside the iconic building. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, FileRepublican lawmakers previously raised concerns about the fencing being made permanent, having written a letter in February asserting it should remain “The People’s House.”
“It’s time for healing and it’s time for the removal of the fencing so the nation may move forward,” the letter read.
Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pitt laid out a series of security enhancements including expanding operations outside the Capitol and better coordinating intelligence sharing between agencies on Tuesday, the six-month anniversary of the attack.
