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What It’s Like In Washington D.C. After A Deadly Insurrection And Before The Biden Inauguratio

A preservationist cleans the frame around a painting inside the US Capitol Rotunda after a insurrectionist mob breached the Capitol on Jan. 6.
A preservationist cleans the frame around a painting inside the US Capitol Rotunda after a insurrectionist mob breached the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Following incitement from the president of the United States, a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol as Congress began the election certification process on Jan. 6. Five people died as a numerous arrests have been made.

Now, about 20,000 National Guard members are expected to remain in Washington, D.C. in an effort to prevent more violence during the week of the Biden-Harris inauguration.

The city is far more than merely the seat of our federal government. D.C. is home to about 700,000 people, and many essential workers also commute into the city from Maryland and Virginia.

Find our conversation about statehood for D.C. here. 

From a DCist piece on how residents have been coping over the past few weeks:

Some residents have rescheduled medical appointments or switched up their bike and run routes to steer clear of downtown D.C. or the Capitol complex. Others say they are avoiding speaking Spanish in public or buying items like baseball bats for personal protection. Some are making plans to leave the city for inauguration. And many have feelings of anger, sadness, and heightened anticipation for the near future.

How has the insurrection affected the residents of D.C.? And what do we know about safety measures in place for other potential violent actions in state capitals?

Copyright 2021 WAMU 88.5

Avery Kleinman