The fence surrounding the United States Capitol will be taken down starting next week, according to a report.
A Fox News reporter tweeted, starting July 8, the fence that is “encircling the immediate perimeter of the U.S. Capitol” will start to come down. He noted that officials originally erected two layers of fencing around the Capitol shortly after the protests and riots which occurred on January 6.
Fox News has reportedly been told: “There are questions as to whether the U.S. Capitol Police have the resources to protect the Capitol. Many officers have left or remain injured. Morale remains very low after the riot.”
One source that remained anonymous told the Fox reporter, “We don’t know that we are in a better position than we were on January 5.”
In March, officials removed the outer perimeter of the fence surrounding the U.S. Capitol. At the time, the Capitol Police said, “The inner perimeter fence, around the Capitol Building, is still in place, while the Department works with our congressional stakeholders and law enforcement partners to strengthen our security posture.”
Breitbart News previously reported on the fence being installed:
The fence, constructed by federal officials following the January 6 Capitol protest, has remained a point of contention among lawmakers and D.C. residents. Even some Democrats expressed that the wall should not morph into a permanent fixture in the nation’s capital.
At the time of the fence’s installation, a Democrat, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (MD), said, “There’s a bipartisan sense that we should not create sort of a permanent Great Wall around the Capitol of the United States.”
In addition, according to the Wall Street Journal, “The D.C. Council and Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat, and the district’s nonvoting House member, have pushed for the fence’s removal.” There were also critics who pointed out “the expense of the fence, which is costing the government $1.9 million a week, a congressional aide said.”