On the eve of the elections, the White House was surrounded by a wall: who built it and why

Federal authorities erected a “non-scaleable” wall around the White House on Monday, November 2, the day before the presidential election. Many fear that the elections could lead to mass protests, civil unrest and even an armed uprising, writes The Guardian.

Photo: Shutterstock

Amid rumors that the election results will not be known immediately, and there are signs that Republicans will either declare victory early or oppose lawsuits if Donald Trump loses, several news outlets wrote in advance about the construction of a fence around the White House.

“The White House is on lockdown,” NBC News correspondent Jeff Bennett wrote Sunday. — A federal law enforcement source said crews will build a “non-scalable” fence to secure the [White House] complex, the Ellipse and Lafayette Square. 1 National Guardsmen have been placed on standby and are subordinate to police officers.”

A similar fence was previously erected over the summer amid national protests against police brutality and racism following the killing of African-American George Floyd by Minneapolis police. According to CNN, the new "impregnable" barricade is the same type of wall.

On the subject: US Presidential Election: Latest News and Results Map

According to The Intercept, The US Secret Service, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, awarded the Arcus Group a contract to create a "perimeter guard" to protect the "White House compound on election night." The contract, signed on October 30, will cost the government $ 988.

In the summer, amid protests near the White House, during which federal agents confronted and attacked mainly peaceful demonstrators, it became known that Trump was placed in a protective bunker. Trump insisted the visit was brief and for security checks.

The summer protests also saw clashes between law enforcement and demonstrators and widespread looting in other major cities. The other day ahead of the election, shops in New York, Washington DC and elsewhere were booting up shop windows in case of trouble.

All over the capital, people were preparing for unrest, regardless of the election results. Business owners boarded up their windows, and George Washington University warned students and staff to stock up on "food, supplies and medicine" for at least a week.

Law enforcement agencies were preparing to deploy the force. Patrick Burke, executive director of the Washington DC Police Foundation, recently told CNN, "If there is no winner, you will see a significant deployment of officers at all levels throughout the capital."

The Daily Beast also reported that more than 100 federal Bureau of Justice Department officers are ready to mobilize in the event of unrest.

On the subject: Boarded windows and armed guards: major US cities prepare for post-election protests

In New York, Police Commissioner Dermot Shea sent a memo to department staff in mid-October stating that most officers must report to duty in uniform and ready to deploy, including officers who are not usually in uniform and detectives. The department said it expects potentially larger and more frequent protests in early 2021.

According to the Wall Street Journal, NYPD has called on businesses in downtown Manhattan to increase security in the event of massive protests. There and elsewhere in New York, such as the downtown Soho shopping district, windows were shattered and shops were looted this summer.

And in other cities, including San Francisco and Washington, businesses also boarded up windows as a protective measure.

Governors of states, including Massachusetts, Arizona and Oregon, have asked the National Guard to prepare for deployment in the event of electoral unrest and protests. More than 3600 troops are deployed, according to the Military Times.

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