A number of DC residents will voice their displeasure with the fence surrounding the Capitol at an unusually fun-filled protest on Saturday.
Organized as a joint effort between the neighborhood blog The Hill is Home and the popular Twitter account Eat DC, the protest will begin at 10 AM at 2nd St., Southeast, and East Capitol St. before participants will fan out along the fence and do activities that they would “rather enjoy doing on the other side,” according to the event announcement. Protesters are encouraged to bring their dogs and kids to have a picnic, draw with sidewalk chalk, and blow bubbles.
Those who can’t make it to the meeting point can still participate at their own section of the fence. The organizers are asking protesters to post their activities on Instagram so “everyone can see what we lose with a fence cutting through our city.”
In addition to Capitol Hill residents, some lawmakers are also calling for the fence to be torn down, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said the barriers “remind me of my last visit to Kabul.” Already some sections are coming down, with a portion at Louisiana Ave. moved earlier this week. But the Capitol complex remains closed off, with security officials wanting the fence to remain until as late as September.
