Multiple security measures for President Donald Trump’s military parade in Washington, D.C., have been announced prior to Saturday’s celebration of Flag Day and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.
In a statement obtained by The Associated Press, Matt McCool, a spokesperson for the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office, said, “We’re preparing for an enormous turnout.” McCool explained that over 18 miles of “anti-scale fencing” will be installed ahead of the military parade and that “multiple drones” will be used to provide security at the event.
“The mission is not just to secure an event, but to ensure public confidence in safety,” McCool said. “We want every attendee to feel secure — that’s why we are leaving no stone unturned,”
According to The Associated Press, U.S. Army officials anticipate roughly 200,000 people will attend Saturday evening’s military parade. McCool said that the Secret Service’s Washington Field Office is prepared to have “hundreds of thousands” of people in Washington, D.C., for the parade.
“We have a ton of magnetometers,” McCool said. “If a million people show up, then we’re going to have some lines.”
Fox 5 reported that 175 magnetometers will be used at various security checkpoints on Saturday, thousands of additional Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Secret Service agents will be deployed to Washington, D.C., and all U.S. Park Police and Metropolitan Police Department officials will be activated.
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Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith told reporters that she expects “major impacts to traffic” on Saturday.
“This is a significant event with a large footprint,” Smith said. “We’re relying on the public to be an extra set of ears and eyes for us.”
According to The Associated Press, multiple protests have been planned in Washington, D.C., during the Army’s celebrations on Saturday. The outlet noted that officials have confirmed that they are also watching for any potential clashes between protesters and law enforcement in the city as the anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) riots continue in Los Angeles.
“We’re paying attention, obviously, to what is happening there. We’ll be ready,” McCool stated. “We have a robust plan for civil disobedience.”
Addressing reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump said, “We’re going to be celebrating big on Saturday, and if there’s any protester that wants to come out, they will be met with very big force.”
Trump added, “I haven’t even heard about a protest, but you know, this is people that hate our country, but they will be met with very heavy force.”
