National Park Service to close Washington Monument for 2 weeks over inauguration security concerns

Washington Monument.
(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

In wake of the deadly riot at the United States Capitol last week, the National Park Service announced it's suspending tours of the Washington Monument between Jan. 11 and Jan. 24, citing "credible threats to visitors and park resources" in the lead-up to President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony.

"Groups involved in the Jan. 6, 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol continue to threaten to disrupt the 59th presidential inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021," a statement from the NPS reads.

Depending on how things play out, the NPS may implement more restrictions, such as cutting off public access to roadways. The closures, says the NPS, could be extended if "conditions persist."

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The announcement comes just a day after Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security requesting enhanced and extended authority ahead of Inauguration Day.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.