Washington D.C. Mayor tells people not to attend Joe Biden’s inauguration

Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, asked the Interior Department to cancel public gathering permits, and said people should attend the event virtually instead.

It comes amid widespread anxiety that the mob violence which erupted on Capitol Hill last Wednesday could repeat itself at Mr Biden’s swearing-in ceremony on January 20.

Speaking to reporters on Monday afternoon, Mayor Bowser insisted that her aim was “to protect the District of Columbia from a repeat of the violent insurrection experienced at the Capitol and its grounds."

Five people have been confirmed dead, including one police officer, after thousands of pro-Trump demonstrators broke past Congressional security and occupied the Capitol building.

Ms Bowser also called on outgoing President Donald Trump to declare a pre-emergency declaration for the city in recognition of the "unprecedented challenges" posed by the “domestic terror attack” and the surging cases of coronavirus in the region.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.