No Large Protests In D.C., On Morning Of Biden’s Inauguration

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Inauguration Day has been quiet so far in Washington, D.C. Some 25,000 National Guard members are in the city, where insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol just two weeks ago.

Claire Harbage/NPR

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Claire Harbage/NPR

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The National Mall has been closed off to the public since Friday, part of an unprecedented security plan that has ringed the Capitol building with razor wire, fenced off Pennsylvania Avenue, and placed dozens of dump trucks to block intersections.

Claire Harbage/NPR

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Claire Harbage/NPR

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A Walgreens is boarded up in a nearly empty part of downtown Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.

Claire Harbage/NPR

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Claire Harbage/NPR

A Walgreens is boarded up in a nearly empty part of downtown Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.

Claire Harbage/NPR

Trump left the White House aboard Marine One shortly after 8:15 a.m. ET Wednesday, heading to Joint Base Andrews. After a brief speech, he boarded Air Force One for a final time, marking the end of a contentious one-term presidency.

Biden’s inaugural ceremonies are slated to start around 11:30 a.m. ET. The 46th president will be sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts at noon ET on the Capitol’s West Front.

Only around 1,000 people will attend the inauguration in person, including former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Members of Congress will also attend. City and federal officials have urged everyone else to watch the ceremony either online or on TV.

• capitol
• national guard