US President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris can be sworn in on the US Capitol on Wednesday in a scaled-down inauguration ceremony, markedly completely different from any the nation has ever seen. Under the shadow of the current siege on Capitol Hill and the quickly rising coronavirus caseload, the occasion will happen amidst heightened safety and a sparse crowd. But these aren’t the one two components that make Biden’s inauguration distinctive.
While the standard options of the ceremony — such because the oath of workplace — will stay the identical, there are a number of placing variations from the presidential inaugurations of the previous.
Here is a listing of key variations that make this yr’s inauguration ceremony stand out
200,000 flags positioned to characterize lacking crowd
A view of the National Mall in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, forward of the 59th Presidential Inauguration on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, Pool)
Nearly 200,000 flags have been positioned alongside the National Mall, the place 1000’s of cheering Americans would have in any other case gathered to witness the inauguration first hand, to characterize the gang that won’t be attending the ceremony this yr.
200k flags have been positioned on the #NationalMall representing folks from all over the world who would collect for the #Inauguration of President Biden & VP Harris.
The #fieldofflags is illuminated by 56 pillars of sunshine representing America’s states & territories. @BidenInaugural pic.twitter.com/ZJdxh8J1w7
— Brandon Chaderton (@Bran_InTheArea) January 19, 2021
The subject of flags, an artwork set up that covers the National Mall from third Street to thirteenth Street in downtown Washington DC, was lit up for the primary time on Sunday night, The Hill reported.
We’re putting in nearly 200,000 state and territory flags that may cowl the whole National Mall for #InaugurationDay!
Become a symbolic sponsor of those flags and donate to our associate charities. pic.twitter.com/DK78iZX1qO
— Biden Inaugural Committee (@BidenInaugural) January 18, 2021
As coronavirus circumstances and deaths proceed to surge throughout the United States, officers determined to drastically prune the visitor record for Biden’s inauguration. The swearing-in ceremony can be restricted solely to members of Congress, who can be permitted to carry one visitor every, the occasion’s organisers introduced in December.
In September final yr, 20,000 American flags had been positioned on the National Mall in remembrance of over 200,00 individuals who had succumbed to Covid-19 on the time.
Trump won’t attend
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump stated that he wouldn’t attend the Biden-Harris inauguration. He is the primary incumbent president since Andrew Johnson to skip his successors swearing in, in keeping with AP.
Hours earlier than the inauguration, Trump is anticipated to fly to his beachside dwelling in Florida, the Guardian reported. But Vice President Mike Pence and several other different of his shut aides won’t be current at his sendoff, AP reported. They will, nevertheless, be current on the incoming president’s swearing-in ceremony, as per experiences.
Fearing insider assault, FBI is vetting all service members
National Guard troops reinforce the safety zone on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, earlier than President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in because the forty sixth president on Wednesday. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The FBI is vetting all service members deployed within the Capitol forward of the inauguration as Defence officers have raised considerations a couple of potential insider assault, AP reported. This comes after it was found that a number of members of legislation enforcement companies and the army participated within the siege on the Capitol constructing.
The vetting course of will contain operating their names on databases to examine if they’ve dedicated any offences or are featured in watchlists anyplace within the nation. Earlier, a minimum of a dozen members of the National Guard had been faraway from responsibility on the Capitol on account of varied issues of their pasts, Politico reported.
Security presence ramped up
After the Capitol Hill riot, Biden can be sworn in underneath the watchful eyes of round 20,000 National Guard troops, who had been deployed in DC to stop some other violent insurrections within the days main as much as the presidential inauguration, the Washington Post reported.
The troops have been on a 24-hour watch ever for the reason that House voted to question President Donald Trump for the second time on Thursday. In truth, safety has been tightened on the Capitol buildings of states throughout the nation, as teams of offended Trump supporters took to the streets to protest towards what they imagine was a “rigged election”.
But regardless of threats of extra violence, Biden has stated that he’s not afraid of “taking the oath outside”, NPR reported.
Virtual inauguration parade
The planning committee determined to scrap the standard inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue following the inauguration ceremony. Instead, there can be a digital “Parade Across America” that includes performers and representatives from all 50 US States.
The parade can be hosted by director-producer Tony Goldwyn, who performed US President Fitzgerald Grant within the hit TV present ‘Scandal’. It will function performers and athlete, together with singer Andra Day, comic Jon Stewart, Olympic athletes Nathan Chen, Allyson Felix and Katie Ledecky.
It can even function performers and audio system from communities throughout the nation, USA Today reported. It can be livestreamed quickly after the inauguration ceremony at BidenInaugural.org.
Airports beef up safety, over 880 added to no-fly record
Airlines and airports have ramped up their safety measures forward of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. The Federal Aviation Administration has stated it would crackdown on unruly passengers by imposing stiff fines. Several airways have additionally banned travellers flying to Washington from checking in firearms.
A spokesperson for Delta Airlines introduced that the provider had put 880 folks on its no-fly record for not complying with its masks necessities and has banned others from flying with the airline for harassing different passengers or different behaviour linked to the US election outcomes, Reuters reported.
Biden’s put up inauguration TV particular
There can be no inaugural balls after the swearing-in ceremony, as is in any other case the custom. Instead, Biden’s inaugural committee is producing a 90-minute TV particular, which can function celebrities like Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake and Jon Bon Jovi. The program, titled “celebrating America”, will “spotlight American heroes,” in keeping with an outline of the occasion.
