Fencing around U.S. Capitol removed six months after deadly Jan. 6 attack

[July 12, 2021]  By Linda So

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than six months after the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump, the remaining high-security fence surrounding the white-domed building has been removed, police said on Sunday.

Workers began removing the last of the eight-foot-high (2.4-m) black mesh fencing on Friday, which at one point surrounded several blocks of Capitol Hill and interfered with pedestrian and vehicle traffic.

The decision to take down the remaining fencing was based on the current threat environment and recent enhancements to the Capitol Police's response capabilities, according to a statement released by the agency.

"We are prepared to quickly enhance our security posture should the need arise," said Acting U.S. Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman in the statement.

More than 535 people have been charged in taking part in the Jan. 6 violence, when Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an unsuccessful attempt to stop Congress from certifying Democratic President Joe Biden’s election win.

Workers remove security fencing as a reduction in heightened security measures taken after the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., July 10, 2021. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

Five people died on the day of the violence and the day after, including a Capitol Police officer. Two police officers who took part in the defense of the Capitol later took their own lives. More than a hundred police officers were injured.

(Reporting by Linda So; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

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