Inauguration Day is less than a week away, inviting either celebration or terror, depending on your political leanings.
The latter emotion is likely more prevalent in Fairfax County, where voters in all but two precincts favored Democratic nominee and current Vice President Kamala Harris even as a rightward shift in Virginia overall helped secure the 2024 election for former and incoming president Donald Trump.
Those looking to show their opposition to the new president and his policies will have a few opportunities over the next week, starting with a People’s March on Washington this Saturday (Jan. 18) and including at least two demonstrations in downtown D.C. on the day of the inauguration (Monday, Jan. 20).
In addition to the inauguration itself, which will feature performances by country singer Carrie Underwood and the Village People, among others, Trump supporters will be able to gather at Capital One Arena for “victory rally” on Sunday (Jan. 19).
An estimated 500,000 people are expected to be on the National Mall for Inauguration Day, based on a permit application, but it remains to be seen how attendance will compare to the notably sparse crowds at Trump’s first inauguration in 2017.
Security, however, will be robust, with roads in D.C. shutting down and thousands of law enforcement officers monitoring the event, including some from Fairfax County.
