U.S. Capitol Police said they will be fencing off the Capitol once more in anticipation of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday and the expected arrival of trucker protests in the following weeks.
“Out of an abundance of caution, and in conjunction with the United States Secret Service, a plan has been approved to put up the inner-perimeter fence around the Capitol building for the State of the Union Address,” U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said in a statement.
Manger added that he has asked for security help from outside law enforcement.
Temporary fencing had been installed in September ahead of a rally attended by far-right extremist groups, including the Proud Boys. Fencing previously erected following the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection was fully removed in July.
Biden is set to deliver his first State of the Union speech on Tuesday amid multiple crises, including the next stage in the COVID-19 pandemic, rising costs for U.S. households and the war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, truckers in the U.S. are trying to recreate protests against COVID-19 policies that broke out in Canada in January. The “Freedom Convoy,” as organizers in Canada named it, wreaked havoc in Ottawa for weeks blocking roads and borders crossings until police cleared out protesters in mid-February.
U.S. Defense Secretary Austin Lloyd last week authorized the deployment of 700 unarmed National Guard troops to provide support with traffic control during the upcoming protests, following requests by Capitol Police and the D.C. government.
“Guard members will not carry firearms or take part in law enforcement or domestic-surveillance activities,” a D.C. National Guard statement said.
Fox News personalities, including Sean Hannity, have been cheering the trucker protests. Prime-time star Tucker Carlson has been advertising “I (heart) Truckers” merchandise on his website.