Under a clear blue sky, thousands of Americans, donning the colours of the national flag, have gathered in Washington D.C. wrapped in the excitement of hosting a close-to-normal Independence Day after a year’s gap. 

The United States is back to buzzing yet again on the Fourth of July, the day that marks the signing of the Declaration of Independence from Britain’s Parliament as well as King George III himself, after the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted and the number of cases plummeting given the successful vaccination drive under President Joe Biden. 

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In front of the National Archives, people have gathered to take pictures with street artists dressed as George and Martha Washington. 

A visitor flies a kite near the Washington Monument on the National Mall. (Photo Credit: AFP)

Meanwhile, at Mount Vernon, the home of America’s first president, immigrants dressed in suits and dresses readied to become naturalised US citizens.

People are crowded at Barracks Row to witness the parade that had to be cancelled last year owing to the raging pandemic, according to reports from Washington Post.

As Washington and the rest of America joined hands to celebrate this auspicious day together, President Biden tweeted: “America is back together”.

To the relief of the city, law enforcement has issued no warnings that far-right extremists or anti-fascist activists intend to disrupt the day’s festivities.

The celebrations this year are far vibrant when compared to 2020. Last year, amid a still-raging pandemic, and just weeks after violent protests over George Floyd’s death, the capital city was scarcely populated. 

While at Black Lives Matter Plaza, flags were burned and trampled, elsewhere, Trump supporters scuffled with protesters, ripping signs away from each other.

Although the city has come a long way, there are still painful signs of an absurd, chaotic past.  

Members of the DC National Guard stand in the National Mall area. (Photo Credit: AFP File)

In Lafayette Square, a public bathroom that last summer’s protesters set ablaze has yet to be repaired, according to Washington Post reports.

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Meanwhile, less than a few miles away, just beyond the Peace Monument, the US Capitol Building is still guarded by black metal fencing, recovering from the shocks of an insurrection by Trump supporters on January 6 this year.  

The red-lettered signs reading, “AREA CLOSED,” has forced the annual Capitol Fourth concert to be prerecorded and aired on television.