For many, a back-row seat to history in the making
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Millions of people came from all over the country to witness a singular moment in American history.
But few actually watched it happen.
Herds of people headed towards downtown Washington, D.C., flocking around the Capitol building, the White House and the Lincoln Memorial from every direction, each hoping to watch Barack Obama take the oath of office.
At every turn, they faced road closures and barricades, sometimes standing still for minutes at a time. In the National Mall and the surrounding streets, people stood shoulder to shoulder, packed together so tightly you could hear echoing complaints of claustrophobia.
2007 CMU alumna Caroline Clunk managed to squeeze her way into the National Mall, which reportedly held over 2 million people by the time ceremonies commenced at noon.
"The mall had speakers and screens so I got glimpses of the screen once in awhile, but I couldn't really see anything," she said. "It was the most people I've ever seen in one place."
"There were literally so many people that you didn't even have enough room to shift your arms," Clunk said. "You would get moved around, but you weren't doing any of the moving. I just listened, the speakers were loud enough and could hear what was going on."
Even people who held tickets had trouble getting into Tuesday's ceremony.
"We waited three hours and couldn't get in and we have a ticket from our senators," said Estelle Chase of Massachusetts, who held a ticket to the blue section, one of the five color sections near the Capitol building where the swear-ins took place.
"We just stood in line and didn't go anywhere," Chase said.
People with purple and silver tickets in particular reported being shut out of their designated locations due to overcrowding.
Minutes before Obama gave his inaugural address, a large number of people chanting "yes we can" broke through a police barricade at the main Silver entrance on Independence Avenue. For 30 minutes, police tried to restrain the crowd, a street-wide line that stretched for over 12 blocks.
Officers blew whistles and militantly yelled out at individuals who attempted to enter the ceremonies: "Get back behind the yellow line! Back up! Do not cross the street!" they barked.
Several times, police used force to keep control over the restless crowds.
There seemed to be no plan, said Ervin Powell of Washington D.C., who watched the events unfold from a curb across the street.
"There has been some pushing, shoving and grabbing by the police," Powell said.
At one point, one police officer spoke to the crowd through a bull horn, informing the people that there were not enough police, Chase said.
"They just weren't prepared for the crowds and it was scary leaving this area," she said.
Lonnie Scott, a 2005 aluma, came to the capitol with three other CMU alumni and an undergraduate, all associated with fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Scott was in the Silver section when the crowds broke down the gate minutes before the program began.
"People who didn't have tickets got in front of us," he said. "We actually thought we would get knocked down. There was a lack of police presence and trying to keep people under control."
In addition to Secret Service, the security effort involved 8,000 police officers from the District of Columbia and other jurisdictions, 10,000 National Guard troops, about 1,000 FBI personnel, and hundreds of others from the Department of Homeland Security, the National Park Service and U.S. Capitol Police.
For some, the struggle was not worth the watch. Michael Benne, 25 of Virginia, gave up around 11 a.m.
"I'd like to watch it, so I'm going to the bar," he said.
news@cm-life.com
