Lawmakers, staff asked to avoid the Capitol during pro-Trump protest
By Mike Lillis - 09/15/21 08:53 AM EDT
As Capitol security officials gird for Saturday's pro-Trump rally in Washington, lawmakers and their aides have been given a simple directive: steer clear of the building.
"Unless required to be onsite, Members and staff are strongly encouraged to avoid the U.S. Capitol Complex on September 18th," House Sergeant at Arms William Walker wrote in a memo sent chamber-wide on Tuesday evening.
If they must visit Capitol Hill on Saturday, House lawmakers and their employees should park in underground garages and move between buildings by way of underground tunnels, rather than walking outside, Walker advised.
The blunt guidance is just the latest step adopted by security officials to prevent Saturday's protest from devolving into the same type of violent melee that occurred on Jan. 6, when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in a failed effort to overturn his election defeat.
Roughly 140 police officers were injured in the riot. Another officer died a day later, after engaging with the mob. And four additional officers have died of suicide in the subsequent months.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/house/572335-lawmakers-staff-asked-to-avoid-the-capitol-during-pro-trump-protest
