The National Mall will close to the public on Inauguration Day next week as local and federal officials work to secure Washington, D.C., for President-elect Joe Biden’s swearing-in after rioters were able to breach the U.S. Capitol building last week.
The National Mall will be accessible only by media and security personnel, according to the Washington Post.
“That means no one will be able to get into the Mall,” an official told the Post. “I would think about it as if you are going to watch, you are not going to be able to see anything. You would maybe be able to see the top of the Capitol.”
During past inaugurations, the Mall has served as a gathering site for the public to view the swearing-in in person and on large jumbotrons.
Officials are working to tighten security in the District, with plans to establish a downtown security zone and to deploy more than 20,000 National Guard members to protect the event on January 20.