White House surrounded by security fence on election night

Alicja Siekierska
·2 min read
Security fencing surrounds the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, on election day. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Security fencing surrounds the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, on election day. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

U.S. President Donald Trump will be surrounded by an extra layer of protection at the White House on Tuesday – this time in the form of a wall.

A special non-scalable fence has been put up around the White House amid concerns about potential civil unrest.

The “anti-scale fencing” was erected by the National Park Service after receiving a request from the Secret Service “regarding the unique security requirements with the upcoming Presidential election, and the need to quickly deescalate potentially violent encounters, protect park resources, and maintain public safety.”

The Parks Service installed the fencing around the White House and Lafeyette Park on Monday and said it will leave it in place for a week.

The move sparked reaction on Twitter, with many pointing to President Trump’s 2016 campaign promise to build a wall across the U.S. border with Mexico.

The National Parks Service said the fence “will not limit the public’s ability to demonstrate” in the parks surrounding the White House. Protests began outside the White House on Tuesday night, as early election results were rolling in.

This is not the first time that fencing has been erected surrounding the White House amid concerns about protests. A similar fence was put in place earlier this year in response to protests following the killing of George Floyd, which sparked protests around the world.