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Dublin: 9 °C Wednesday 22 May, 2013

Pics, video: Washington gets ready for Obama inauguration

The US president was officially sworn-in for a second term yesterday but a public event will take place in Washington today.

US PRESIDENT BARACK Obama will be publicly sworn in for a second term later today with hundreds of thousands of people expected to descend on Washington for the event.

Preparations for the 57th presidential inauguration have been under way for the past few days with Obama having been officially sworn in yesterday as is required under the US Constitution.


YouTube: ABCNews

Crowds are expected to gather on the Mall leading to the west steps of the US Congress on Capitol Hill ahead of his public swearing in by the US Supreme Court justice John Roberts just before 5pm Irish time.

Obama will then deliver an inaugural address, sign nomination papers for his Cabinet and have an inaugural lunch in Statuary Hall at the US Capitol.

Later he will watch an inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue.

Analysts do not expect the nearly 2 million people that were in Washington for the inauguration of America’s first black president four years ago.

Floats that will be taking part in the inaugural parade have been worked on in recent days.

Pics, video: Washington gets ready for Obama inauguration
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  • Inaugural Preparation

    The West Front of the U.S. Capitol is dressed in red, white and blue. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
  • Inaugural Preparation

    A workman snaps a souvenir photo amid thousands of folding chairs on the West Lawn on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
  • Inaugural Preparation

    Work continues as work crews lay down special mats to protect the lawn on the National Mall. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
  • Inaugural Preparation

    Charles King, left, and Mark Johnson, right, make preparations for the 57th Inauguration weekend of events near the White House in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
  • Inaugural Protest

    Protester Theresa Cao, of Washington, stands near the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
  • Inaugural Protest

    Evalina Lentini, of Ohio, looks at the Presidential viewing stand near the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
  • Inaugural Parade

    A person takes a picture of the civil rights movement float prepared for the 57th Presidential Inaugural Parade. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
  • Inaugural Parade

    Luci Brown of South Bend, Ind., looks at the floats prepared. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
  • Inaugural Parade

    People take a picture of a group with the Martin Luther King float. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
  • Inaugural Parade

    Kevin Tamai with Hargrove Inc., works on a plane on the Tuskegee Airmen float. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
  • Inaugural Parade

    Arianna Dorman of Fort Washington, Md., holds her dog "Luke," as she poses for a picture with the civil rights movement float. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
  • Inaugural Preparation

    The West Front of the U.S. Capitol. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Column: For Obama, this inauguration will be very different than the first

Read: Barack Obama formally begins second term as US President

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