The U.S. Postal Service has announced plans to temporarily remove 14 blue mailboxes in Los Angeles and Orange counties as a precautionary measure against potential protests.
The Postal Service joins many other agencies across the country pending plans for protests leading up to and after the inauguration of President Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday. Experts and law enforcers fear the protests could turn violent after rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol last week.
“These are temporary measures to protect postal items, employees and the public,” the Postal Service said in a January 13 statement.
Government Gavin Newsom on Thursday called on the California Army National Army to increase security at the state capital, where about a dozen mailboxes in Sacramento are being removed. About another dozen will be removed in San Francisco.
In Southern California, the mailboxes will be removed in areas known to attract rallies and demonstrations in downtown Los Angeles, Van Nuys and Huntington Beach.
In Los Angeles, four collection boxes were removed in the Civic Center area, in 1st and 2nd streets near San Pedro Street.
In Van Nuys, six boxes were removed in or near his civic center, including five on Van Nuys Boulevard. Another box is being removed a few blocks north of Van Nuys Boulevard near Haynes Street, where there are several government buildings in the area, including the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and a post office.
In Huntington Beach, three boxes are being removed in Olive Avenue near Main Street, where there is also a post office.
The boxes will be removed Friday night after the last pick-up time, or tomorrow early Saturday morning, said Evelina Ramirez, spokeswoman for the Postal Service.