Capitol On Lockdown As Authorities Brace For Large-Scale Demonstrations

Wednesday is shaping up to be a day of significant tension and potential conflict at the United States Capitol. The cause? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to a joint session of Congress.

The event has ignited considerable controversy, sparking large-scale protests organized by pro-Palestinian groups on Capitol Hill and boycotts from Democratic lawmakers.

Both Republicans and Democrats have voiced concerns over the security implications of these demonstrations.

Capitol Lockdown Measures

According to Roll Call, “The Capitol Visitor Center and Library of Congress will be closed to tourists, and the U.S. Botanic Garden will shutter, right as plant lovers are enjoying the bloom of its iconic corpse flowers.” The U.S. Capitol Police are preparing for large-scale demonstrations.

Expected Security Preparations

• Increased Police Presence: Additional officers, including those from several outside agencies, will be deployed.
• Enhanced Intelligence Sharing: Robust intelligence sharing with partner agencies.
• Resource Allocation: Ensuring sufficient resources for security teams.

A Capitol Police spokesperson stated, “For safety reasons, we never provide specific security details, but generally we can say that our plan includes adding more officers – including from several outside agencies – continuing our robust intelligence sharing with our partners and ensuring that we have enough resources for our teams.”

High-Profile Political Absences

Vice President Kamala Harris, who would typically preside over such a meeting as the president of the Senate, has announced her decision to not attend.

Neither Harris nor President Biden was present to greet Netanyahu upon his arrival. Netanyahu, a wartime leader and U.S. ally, has planned a meeting with former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday.

Trump's Anticipation

On Truth Social, Trump expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming meeting, stating, “Looking forward to seeing Bibi Netanyahu on Friday, and even more forward to achieving Peace in the Middle East! DJT.”

Bipartisan Concerns

The Daily Caller reports that both Republicans and Democrats are uneasy about the potential reaction to Netanyahu's speech. The bipartisan apprehension highlights the broader political and security implications of this high-profile event:

Some lawmakers are nervous that scores of pro-Palestinian protesters will swarm the Capitol out of retaliation for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's congressional address on Wednesday.

Netanyahu will deliver an address to a joint session of Congress to speak on the importance of maintaining a strong U.S.-Israel relationship. But a number of lawmakers who spoke to Axios fear for the security ramifications of Netanyahu's speech, as some pro-Palestinian groups are expected to send tens of thousands of protesters to the Capitol that day.

“I, and I think every other Jewish person in America has increased security concerns because… the actions of these protesters have become more and more violent,” Democratic New York Rep. Dan Goldman told Axios.

Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, who is not attending Netanyahu's speech, told Axios that her staff is “looking at the threat assessment” posed by protesters to assess whether she should even go to the Capitol on Wednesday.

House and Senate office buildings will be accessible solely to members, staff and those with “official business” for the majority of the day.

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