DC residents protest Capitol fencing with bubbles, picnics

Washington, D.C., residents are protesting the Capitol fencing that has been up since the Jan. 6 riot with bubbles and picnics.

“Bring your dogs, your kids, your bike, a picnic blanket with snacks, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, balls, or whatever else you want to show how you use the part of our city currently blocked off by barbed wire,” The Hill is Home and Eat DC, the organizers of the event, said in the protest’s announcement.

The protest took place Saturday morning, nearly two months after the fencing was erected.

The fencing was put up after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot as a precautionary measure and there has been no indication of when it will come down. 

“The four miles of barbed wire fence around the Capitol complex have cut off our access to open spaces and essential roads through the city,” the protest organizers said. “These are areas where we play, relax, walk our dogs, enjoy the flowers, commute to work, and connect with friends. The roads are also critical routes for emergency personnel to reach us and keep us safe.”

The organizers encouraged those who couldn’t meet up at the protest spot to post pictures of the fence with the hashtag #OurDC to show their support. 

2 4 6 8, freedoms we’d appreciate! Take down the fence! #ourdc pic.twitter.com/o7ADdghRTd

— Sandra Moscoso (@sandramoscoso) March 13, 2021

@eat_dc @theHillisHome Normally I’d grab a spot on the lawn on such a beautiful day…#DontFenceDC #ourDC pic.twitter.com/Z5gkFOE6bg

— Andy McKinley (@AdultGambino1) March 13, 2021

Stopped by this morning’s Take Down the Fence protest to join my fellow Capitol Hill residents—and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. #OurDC pic.twitter.com/3FeIo689gN

— Sharon McGill (@sharonmcgill) March 13, 2021

Why do we need to have barbed wire at our family picnics in #OurDC ?#DontFenceDC pic.twitter.com/nLJ2qFa6Nf

— Sam Moghtaderi (@DrMoghtaderi) March 13, 2021

Republican senators have called out the Capitol police for not giving a justification for continuing to keep the fence up.

Although there was a concern of security threats on March 4 because of a Qanon conspiracy theory, the police have not pointed to any threat for their justification in keeping the fence up.