Nearly two dozen people were arrested Thursday morning after Pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked several major roadways in D.C., briefly snarling traffic Thursday morning. A total of 23 people were arrested on charges of “crowding, obstructing or incommoding” which is the legal term for blocking traffic. U.S. Capitol Police made 11 of the arrests, U.S. Park Police made four arrests and D.C. police made eight arrests. Three of the people who were arrested by U.S. Capitol Police were also charged with resisting arrest, a spokesperson said.
HAPPENING NOW: Hundreds of protesters are blocking 5 major roadways in DC & rallying at Union Station to end the genocide.
They’re stopping US gov’t war criminals from getting to work. NO BUSINESS AS USUAL! SHUT IT DOWN! This is 23rd & Constitution near the State Dept. pic.twitter.com/QgFK1gSU0X — USCPR #DefendMasaferYatta (@USCPR_) February 1, 2024
For about an hour Thursday morning, multiple demonstrations blocked traffic on Constitution Ave NW both ways, as well as Massachusetts Ave NE westbound and Interstate 395 northbound into the 3rd Street Tunnel. Nearly all of the closures had lifted by shortly after 10 a.m. By 9:30 a.m., 23rd and Constitution had reopened after all protesters were removed from the roadway, according to the WTOP Traffic Center. Traffic was once again moving coming from the Roosevelt Bridge and from the Memorial Bridge. While the closures had lifted, gridlock persisted for some time for drivers headed into the District, on the Key, Roosevelt Memorial and 14th Street bridges. “We’re still in a mess of delays trying to head in and around the District due to the demonstrations that were going on in the area,” WTOP Traffic Reporter Reada Kessler said shortly before 10 a.m. Earlier Thursday morning, Interstate 66 inbound in Virginia was diverting to Virginia 110 as the Roosevelt Bridge was closed during the demonstration activity. Video shared on the X social media platform by the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights showed demonstrators standing and sitting in the middle of the roads shouting “Free, free Palestine,” as car horns blared in the background. Other videos showed demonstrators being handcuffed and taken into custody by U.S. Park officers.