The Washington Monument will be closed through Inauguration Day Jan. 20 because of “credible threats to visitors and park resources,” the National Park Service said Monday.
“Groups involved in the January 6, 2021 riots at the US Capitol continue to threaten to disrupt the 59th presidential inauguration on January 20, 2021. This includes the set up and execution of inaugural events, which occur in several park areas,” the National Park Service said in a statement.
Tours of the Washington Monument were suspended beginning Monday and will continue until Jan. 24, as well as the closures of roadways and parking areas surrounding the National Mall.
The park service said the temporary closures may be extended if “the conditions persist” and sites will reopen when threats “are no longer present.”
President-elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated Jan. 20 in a scaled-down ceremony at the Capitol because of the safety concerns surrounding the continuing coronavirus pandemic and in the wake of the rampage at the US Capitol last Wednesday that resulted in the deaths of five people.