By the People, for the People, but Not Necessarily Open to the People “It breaks my heart”: Increased security in the capital over the years has made public spaces less public, and the storming of the Capitol means that will probably continue. Image A crowd-control fence around Capitol Hill was reinforced with concrete barriers last week.Credit...Brendan Smialowski/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images WASHINGTON — The seven-foot-tall metal fencing that has sealed the perimeter of the U.S. Capitol grounds and fortified the Supreme Court across the street is temporary. But it portends lasting change likely to come: In the capital city, there will be more hardening, more barriers, less openness, less access.