Washington's Martin Luther King Jr memorial closed on his federal holiday
19 January, 2021
The memorial to Martin Luther King Jr was closed on his vacation amid a shutdown in downtown Washington for president-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20.
“The National Park Service and the US Secret Service remind the general public that security restrictions persistent to the 59th presidential inauguration have closed public usage of the Martin Luther King Jr memorial through January 21,” the agencies said on Sunday.
The monument lies along the serene tidal basin next to the National Mall.
The US Park Service took the rare step of closing the whole National Mall on Saturday amid fears that extremists could carry out violent attacks during inauguration day on Wednesday.
Rioters loyal to President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol on January 6 in a failed attempt to prevent Congress from certifying Mr Biden’s election victory.
The National Guard has formed a security perimeter around downtown Washington, extending several city blocks at night National Mall, where King delivered his famous "I have a desire" speech.
Police arrested a Virginia man on Friday after he tried to enter the secure spot with a handgun and 500 rounds of ammunition through the use of fake inauguration credentials.
Twitter users lamented the closure of the memorial to the civil rights hero.
"White supremacy seeks to destroy Americans' honour of our institutions, from Congress to national memorials," one user wrote.
Another called the closure "sad and tragic".
It really is especially significant after mass Black Lives Matter protests through the entire country this past year, including in the administrative centre.
Dr King’s daughter, Bernice King, drew a primary parallel to the backlash against her father during the US civil rights activity and modern criticism of the Black Lives Matter marches.
“Please don’t become everyone loved my dad,” Ms King tweeted. “He was assassinated.
"A 1967 poll reflected that he was just about the most hated men in America. Most hated.
"Many who quote him now and evoke him to deter justice today may likely hate, and could already hate, the authentic King.”
Democratic and Republican politicians frequently invoke King’s legacy in political discourse.
Source: www.thenationalnews.com
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