Washington demands increased security for Biden’s inauguration

Washington’s Mayor has asked for increased security around the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden after last week’s storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump.

Describing last week’s assault as an “unprecedented terrorist attack”, Mayor Muriel Bowser said that Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20 will require a “different approach” compared to past inaugurations. 

“While I will be reaching out to a broad range of local, regional and federal partners to enhance cooperation among our bodies, I strongly urge the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to adjust its approach to the inauguration in several specific ways,’’ Bowser wrote in a letter to Chad Wolf, the acting Secretary of the Department. 

 The letter was dated Saturday and made available on Sunday. The storming of the Capitol building last week by Trump supporters delayed the certification of Biden’s election victory. 

 Trump, who has without evidence challenged the validity of Biden’s election win, initially praised his supporters but later condemned the violence.