Law enforcement in the nation’s capital are bracing for potential unrest and ramping up security this summer when a number of high-profile and politically fraught events could spark protests, including a NATO summit and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington.
The confluence of events stretches from late June when the Supreme Court is expected to issue several blockbuster opinions, including on former President Donald Trump’s immunity claim, to July when DC will host the NATO summit as well as Netanyahu, to the political conventions that will draw law enforcement resources from DC to Milwaukee and Chicago.
The outward signs are already on display. Bike rack fencing has gone up around the Supreme Court in anticipation of decisions expected Friday and likely several days next week before the high court’s summer recess. Capitol Police will also work with Supreme Court Police to cover security.
“With the political conventions, visits from high profile leaders, and the many issues being debated in Congress, this will be a very busy summer,” US Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger told CNN. “I’m confident that our Department is prepared for what’s ahead.”
Between the NATO summit from July 9 to 11 and Netanyahu’s visit two weeks after that, Washington could see its largest demonstrations since the US Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, according to one official with the Metropolitan Police Department in DC. The department is preparing for the potential of mass arrests.
“There’s not one single demonstration or one single thing that is like causing more or less angst,” the official said, adding that current intelligence indicates a high volume of protests this summer.
An elevated security posture could continue around key dates in November and January, including the presidential election, the congressional certification of election results and the inauguration.
Manger said his department draws up security plans for every major event on Capitol Hill.
“Today, our officers are better trained, better equipped and better prepared for the many challenges we face,” Manger said. “With both conventions, the election and the upcoming inauguration, the USCP remains committed to our mission and our Nation’s security.”
Capitol Police are planning to send more than 300 officers to help with security to both the Republican National Convention from July 15 to 18 and the Democratic National Convention from August 19 to 22 – the largest-ever deployment of officers from the department to an event outside of DC.
At the same time, Capitol Police, the Secret Service, DC police and other agencies are also planning to deploy more officers, track intelligence on potential threats and coordinate cross-agency efforts in the nation’s capital over the coming weeks.
Underscoring the security concerns around the NATO summit, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has designated it as a National Special Security Event.
That designation, reserved for events like presidential inaugurations, political conventions and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, means the Secret Service will take the lead on operational security planning with additional resources from federal agencies like the FBI and FEMA.
DC police are already ramping up staffing for the first part of July ahead of the three-day NATO summit, the MPD official told CNN. The entire department will be working 12-hour shifts for the week around the event, and during the summit every DC police officer is expected to be on-duty.
The FBI is leading the counterterrorism effort, assessing and sharing intelligence they gather in the lead-up to and during the summit. And the Secret Service will augment the security teams of foreign diplomats and leaders during the summit, working with security details from various countries and providing their own agents as security on the ground.
Some of the security concerns around Netanyahu’s visit are based on past anti-Israel protests, which have been some of the most confrontational DC has seen in recent months, one source familiar with the planning for that event told CNN.
Pro-Palestinian protesters have trailed President Joe Biden at nearly every public event since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began in October.
Capitol Police are generating weekly intelligence updates ahead of Netanyahu’s planned trip to address a joint session of Congress on July 24, and the department is planning to ramp up officer deployments.
