Preliminary plan to close National Mall on Inauguration Day
There is a preliminary plan to close the entire National Mall to the public for Inauguration Day amid security concerns, ABC News has confirmed.
The Washington Post was the first to report on the development, but The National Park Service has said it will make an announcement on the Mall following ongoing discussions with the Secret Service, the Biden Inaugural team and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Traditionally, members of the public gather on the National Mall -- bookended by the Capitol building and Lincoln Memorial -- for viewing of the inauguration on large jumbotrons.
![](https://s.abcnews.com/images/International/wash-monument-us-rc-210114_1610639605743_hpEmbed_23x15_992.jpg)
But the Mall's potential closure comes in the wake of a violent seige on the U.S. Capitol building last week, which left at least five people dead, and amid heightened security concerns regarding armed protests being planned ahead of Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20.
Security preparations for next week have already increased with up to 20,000 National Guard troops authorized to provide security at the Capitol and around Washington, D.C., for next week's ceremony, according to a Defense Department official.
![](https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/nat-guard-capitol-sleep-gty-so-210113_1610555423471_hpMain.jpg)
Bowser has already warned visitors to stay away from the District for the inauguration due to threats of both the coronavirus pandemic and of violence.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this post reported that the entire National Mall would be closed to the public for Inauguration Day amid security concerns. The text has been updated to reflect the fact that the closure is only a preliminary plan.
-ABC News' Dee Carden and Josh Margolin