07/27/20
The White House is building a massive 'anti-climb' wall following protests. These photos show the evolution of White House fencing over the years
A new wall blocking off the White House South Lawn on Sunday. Rebecca Rainey/Politico
Once clearly visible from the street, the White House is now obstructed by a massive ‘anti-climb’ wall.
Construction has ramped up following protests over the death of George Floyd, but plans for an ‘anti-climb’ component to the White House perimeter have been in the works since July 2016, according to the White House history website.
A photo of the wall captured Sunday by Politico reporter Rebecca Rainey was widely shared, clearing 24,000 retweets in under 24 hours.
The White House would not comment on the record to Insider.
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The days of leaning on the black barred fencing for a photo of the White House in the background are ending, with a massive “anti-climb” wall being built around the South Lawn.
Plans for a new perimeter with an “anti-climb” component have been in the works since July 2016, according to the White House history website.
However, several changes have been made to the area surrounding the White House following nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd, with various structures put in place to cordon off protesters.
A new photo of the wall went viral on Sunday, after Politico reporter Rebecca Rainey tweeted out a shot showing how much farther away pedestrians now have to remain from the edge of the South Lawn.
The view from H street pic.twitter.com/yLV2wl5OGK
— Rebecca Rainey (@RebeccaARainey) July 26, 2020
Rainey also took a shot from the north side, where Lafayette Square is now closed off via a variety of obstacles.
It remains unclear which aspects of the new wall stem from the Obama-era plan to reinforce the perimeter and which are directly in response to the protests.
The White House declined to comment on the record to Insider, while the National Parks Service — which oversees the federal property surrounding the White House — did not return a request for comment.
A new perimeter was decided upon in the summer of 2016 following the 2014 White House intrusion, when a man was able to climb over the north fence and make it to the front door with a knife before being stopped by an off-duty security officer.
This is what the White House fence situation has looked like over the years:
The South Lawn in the 1870s
Abraham Lincoln famously hosted more than 2,000 visitors following his inauguration in 1861, with accounts at the time remarking upon the line getting so out of hand that many left in frustration.
Several visitors also reportedly lost their coats and other belongings in the crowded reception area.
Back then, you could quite literally walk right up to the White House from the south perimeter.
The White House North Lawn, 1922
On the north side, protesters used to be able to get much closer to the White House than Lafayette Square.
In this 1922 photo, families of political dissidents convicted under the Espionage Act of 1917 protest against the Warren G. Harding administration.
The South Lawn in 1965
The spiky black fence on the South Lawn familiar to most DC tourists was in place …read more
Source:: Business Insider
https://www.businessinsider.com/whit...rotests-2020-7