The Capitol Fence Comes Down

July 13, 2021 at 4:24 pm

By Judy Scott Feldman

Over the weekend, the fence erected around the U.S. Capitol following the January 6^th riot was removed. For the first time in months, local residents and visitors now have access to the Capitol grounds. The alarming spectacle of the “people’s house” cut off from the people, of our elected representatives under siege, is gone.

But as Lisa Benton-Short warned in her February 12^th blog, “on January 28 the acting Chief of U.S. Capitol Police called for permanent fencing around the Capitol. Such a reaction would continue a disturbing trend in the fortification of buildings and memorials that now dominates at the expense of protecting public access and the symbolic meaning of the Mall.”

How we respond to safety and security concerns are shaping the future of the Mall. For now, the spirit of open space and freedom is restored.