Friday, 29 Nov 2024

The Washington Monument has been closed because of ‘credible threats.’

The National Park Service has closed the Washington Monument, citing “credible threats to visitors and park resources” around the inauguration of President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Jeffrey P. Reinbold, the superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks, said those involved in the riots at the Capitol continue to threaten the upcoming inauguration, including the setup and execution of events that occur in park areas.

As a result, the National Park Service has suspended tours of the Washington Monument beginning Monday until Jan. 24, several days after Inauguration Day, and may implement other temporary closures within the National Mall and Memorial Parks, Mr. Reinbold said.

The announcement adds to what will be a highly unusual presidential inauguration, a historically packed celebration that was already set to be stymied this year by the coronavirus pandemic. Far fewer tickets are available and Mayor Muriel E. Bowser of Washington has asked people to stay home and participate virtually.

In permanently suspending President Trump from its platform, Twitter also noted that plans for future protests, including a secondary attack on the Capitol building on Jan. 17, had already spread on and off the website.

The National Mall in Washington is among the city’s most iconic sites, stretching from the foot of the Capitol building — where Mr. Biden is set to be inaugurated — to the Potomac River behind the Lincoln Memorial.

Spectators have long descended on Washington to witness the presidential inauguration. The New York Times reported in 1861 that the city’s “streets were thronged with people” during the inauguration of President Abraham Lincoln.

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