Crews to build ‘non-scalable fence’ around White House in preparation for election

Continued preparations for potential violence following the 2020 presidential election are stretching to Washington, D.C. and, particularly, the White House. 

A non-scalable fence will be erected around the entire perimeter of the White House Monday, the same as the one that was erected this summer during racial unrest in the nation’s capitol. 

D.C. Metropolitan Police Chief Peter Newsham has warned of coming violence for months. He has said his officers have been training for over a year. 

WUSA9, a Washington, D.C. news outlet, is reporting that Newsham purchased $130,000 worth of “less lethal munitions,” which include rubber bullets. Newsham also bought tear gas canisters and “training kits,” purchases made on June 1 following protests related to the May 25 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

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Patrick Burke, the executive director of the District’s police foundation, told CNN that the potential for violence will depend on the speed with which a winner is announced after tomorrow’s election. 

“If there’s no winner, you will see significant deployments of officers at all levels across the capital,” said Burke. “Officers will get cancellations of days off, extensions of shifts and full deployments of officers across the city.”

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In addition to post-election violence, many cities and states are bracing for potential violence and voter intimidation on Tuesday. 

The Epoch Times, an independent newspaper, recently tweeted that “¾ of #Voters are concerned about the possibility of #Violence on and after #ElectionDay , according to a poll. 69% of respondents also said that they believe the divisions in the country have grown deeper than they were in the past.” 

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The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project and MilitiaWatch are both warning that Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Oregon are among the country’s most high-risk activity areas. 

The report is based on the presence and activity of militia groups in those states. 

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