WASHINGTON DC (Eagle News) — It’s been six months since rioters breached the perimeter of and entered the US Capitol. Today, there is a semblance of things getting back to normal.

The fencing and barricades surrounding the Capitol building are being removed. And it is a welcome site to the residents of the District of Columbia.

The U.S. Capitol Police began dismantling the barricades on Friday. The bars connecting the eight-foot (2.4 meter) black metal fencing were the first to go. Next the fence itself was taken out early Saturday and continues through the weekend.

Thousands of National Guard troops were stationed at the Capitol following the attack in January, and a wide security boundary complete with razor wire turned the building into a fortress for months.

An outer perimeter was dismantled in March, but the fencing, Capitol Hill traffic detours, and a ban on visitors has irritated lawmakers from both parties.

Acting US Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman says the department is “extremely grateful for the support [it] continues to receives” in its critical mission to protect the Capitol. She added that they are prepared to quickly enhance security posture should the need arise.

In a letter to lawmakers this week, Senate Sergeant at Arms Karen Gibson said US Capitol Police will continue to “monitor intelligence information and the associated threat environment,” and that if threat conditions warrant, the temporary fencing could be reinstalled quickly.

The taking down of the fencing was based on the current threat environment and recent enhancements to the Capitol Police’s response capabilities.

(Eagle News Service)