before the inauguration of Donald Trump, the center of Washington is barricaded

At 12 p.m. sharp, Washington time, Donald Trump, 78, will begin his second term, succeeding Democrat Joe Biden. In the meantime, the American capital is cordoned off, in the middle of a cold spell.

A soundtrack with police sirens ringing non-stop and in the image, a wall of black barricades around the White House and the Capitol: Washington is preparing for the inauguration of Donald Trump, Monday January 20. Exceptionally, this ceremony that the president-elect wanted to be popular will finally take place inside the Capitol, in the face of the cold wave hitting the United States.

Ironically, this is the very place where the police pushed back Trump supporters four years ago during the assault on the US Congress. However, with the presence of foreign leaders, and the assassination attempt which targeted Donald Trump last July, security has been greatly reinforced. Almost 50 kilometers of fence more than two meters high have been erected, as well as anti-climbing barriers to protect these places of power.

A little complicated for Trump supporters to take selfies…”I know you're not doing anything wrong, but it's blocked from here. So stay on the sidewalk.” explains a security agent, who applies the orders of the Secret Service, the service responsible in particular for the protection of personalities, under high pressure.

Jason, who came from Florida to attend the inauguration, is impressed: “I've never seen such a level of security. It's something to see all these barriers everywhere, on every street corner.” If the police are much less visible than four years ago, a few weeks after the assault by Trumpist supporters on the Capitol, some 25,000 police and soldiers were still deployed on the ground. Which reassures Mark: “Since Trump was shot twice, of course security was going to be reinforced. And then we are not safe from another terrorist attack on American soil, he says. With all these police officers, I feel safer.”

Snipers have been posted on the roofs, drones crisscross the sky as well as a helicopter capable of detecting explosives. The center of Washington is closed to traffic, with checkpoints and concrete anti-attack bollards.