The unprecedented level of security for the 55th presidential inauguration on Thursday is drawing mixed reactions. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) called the security overwhelming, but law enforcement officials are calling it necessary.
Norton feels the security is a little excessive and is upset the city is being forced to pay for it, said her spokesperson Doxie McCoy.
"She understands the need to protect the homeland, the president, the residents, but she does feel the timing and scope of the security is over the top," McCoy said.
McCoy said Norton is in contact with the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security over the bill for inaugural security. The money for the security is now coming from a regional fund, but "that was not the solution the city or congresswoman were looking for."
"It is the inauguration that only comes forth every 4 years," McCoy said. "But she has made her concerns known."
The Metropolitan Police Department, which is aiding the Secret Service, feels the security is appropriate.
"It is a presidential event, the first inauguration we've had post 9/11, one of the most significant public events since 9/11, so there has to be some level of security," police spokesman and officer Kenneth Bryson said.
One counter-inaugural protest group, the A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition, filed a lawsuit against the Presidential Inaugural Committee, saying that the parade violated First Amendment rights. The committee would not comment on the lawsuit.
Bill Hackwell, an A.N.S.W.E.R spokesman, said the group has documents showing the inaugural committee tried to exclude dissenting opinion from the inaugural parade.
"We're saying that if the Presidential Inaugural Committee, which is a private enterprise, prevails, it means they have a higher priority than free speech," Hackwell said.
Around 6,000 law enforcement personnel, a team of bomb sniffing dogs, deployable missiles and a Coast Guard waterway patrol are some of the security measures being put in place for Thursday.
Hackwell said that protesters should not be viewed and restricted as a security threat, and that security is being used as an excuse to restrict dissent.
"We want to start what could be an ongoing challenge to the inaugurations of the future," Hackwell said. "That they can't just be handed over to the winner."
Hackwell said the group hopes their lawsuit will force the inaugural committee to increase access and lessen security.
Roads directly around the Capitol will be closed from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the Archives-Navy Memorial and Smithsonian Metro stations will be closed until 6 p.m. Several security checkpoints will be placed along the parade route.
There are bleachers along the parade route for those who have tickets, but those without tickets should be able to view the parade along Pennsylvania Avenue according to the committee's Web site.
The Secret Service said the level of security is determined by global events.
"The lessons learned on 9/11 have not been lost on us or our officers, and we will act accordingly," said Secret Service spokeswoman Lorie Lewis.
