Members of the National Guard walk past the Dome of the Capitol Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021.
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON – All through downtown Washington, the primary sound for several blocks was the beeping of forklifts unloading more fencing.
The number of National Guard troops coming to Washington to assist with security has so far grown to about 21,000, Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told Vice President Mike Pence at a briefing Thursday.
National Guard members operate under strict rules of engagement on the use of force.
D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee estimated Wednesday that more than 20,000 National Guard members would be active in the city on Inauguration Day.