Washington's big day approaches
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.By tradition, the presidential oath of office will be administered outside, in full view of the electorate, with the incoming President and Vice-President surrounded by members of Congress, Supreme Court justices and diplomatic corps. As George W Bush slips out of the door and disappears back to his Texas ranch, the inauguration of the 44th president will be a much-anticipated event.
But even on less-august occasions, it is to the Mall that people are always drawn, to protest some injustice, grieve for those sacrificed to America's ham-fisted foreign policies, or simply to crowd its extraordinary array of free museums.
Inspired by Versailles, the army officer Pierre Charles L'Enfant who laid out Washington in 1791 envisioned the Mall as a grand avenue with stately gardens. That's not how things turned out. Instead, it has been torn up, altered for security reasons and eaten into as groups lobby for war memorials. What next? A monument to George Bush's folly in Iraq? His version of Saddam Hussein's colossal Hands of Victory monument? George Bush may be commander-in-chief until noon on 20 January 2009, but when it comes to altering the Mall, thankfully he has no power.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments