Antiwar Protesters Ride Through D.C.

By Manny Fernandez and Spencer Hsu
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, March 20, 2003; 4:08 PM

About 30 antiwar activists marched on the Key Bridge this morning, forcing police to briefly shut down one of the District's major traffic arteries and causing officials to gear up for further possible disruptions from demonstrations planned later this afternoon and evening.

The Key Bridge protest was brief, lasting only about 20 minutes beginning at about 8:30 a.m. But traffic appeared backed up on M Street NW in Georgetown as the crowd dispersed. "I'm out here breaking the law a little bit, because the war in Iraq is far more illegal than anything we are doing today," said protester Dan Beeton, 28, who stood on a District-bound lane of the bridge as police in vehicles and on motorcycles blocked traffic on all lanes.

More than 40 police vehicles from Arlington and the Virginia State Police converged at the bridge, blocking traffic on it for about 20 minutes. Cars attempting to head into the city on the bridge were detoured to Interstate 66.

Beeton and other protesters took to the center of the bridge at about 8:30 a.m., following a short march in Rossyln. As they marched toward the District side, arm in arm, police warned those on the street that they were blocking a roadway and were risking arrest. About 100 other protesters looked on from the bridge's sidewalk and chanted in support. The protesters on the bridge moved to the sidewalk upon reaching the District end. Police prevented the group from leaving until they formed into a single-file line.

There was at least one confrontation between Arlington police and protesters as the group approached the bridge from downtown Rosslyn. Witnesses said police used pepper spray, and organizers said three people were arrested. Protesters said they also abandoned a mini-van near the District side of the bridge as part of the protest.

District officials say they believe they made it through the morning rush hour, but are bracing for this evening’s, particularly if the U.S.-led war in Iraq intensifies. D.C. Emergency Management Agency Director Peter G. Laporte said Virginia officials moved swifty to cut off the attempt by protesters to block the bridge. He said the District is considering moving more tow trucks or cranes near the Potomac bridges to thwart further efforts to dump cars in traffic lanes.

"We are gearing up for the afternoon commute," LaPorte said. "We are talking to Metropolitan Police about more cranes on the bridges. If there are tactics of dumping cars or using human shields . . . we'd be able to move the cars and quickly and swiftly arrest those people blocking traffic."

The demonstration was one in a series of antiwar demonstrations planned today in Washington in response to U.S. attacks on Iraq. Organizers from different antiwar groups said they would gather at Dupont Circle at 5 p.m. and march to the White House.

The Key Bridge march was organized by the Shirts Off Coalition, a network of local antiwar, anti-capitalist and pro-Palestinian groups. About 50 protesters on bicycles also took part in today’s demonstrations, taking to the streets this morning at Dupont Circle.

The Key Bridge marchers first assembled outside the Eastern Market Metro stop on Capitol Hill around 7 a.m. There, soaked in the morning rain, they heard speeches denouncing the Bush administration’s military strikes against Iraq. "This is a really critical time," said Jenny Rosloff, 20, a junior at the University of Maryland, one of many Washington area students planning on walking out of classes today to protest the war. "I don't think [Bush] is listening to the people, to other countries. I think he made up his mind and hasn't even considered any other points of view."

Protesters took the escalators into the station about 7:30 a.m., and boarded an Orange line train to Rosslyn. On the Eastern Market platform, groups of 10 and 15 protesters assembled according to the colors of tiny instruction sheets — orange, pale green, dark green, pink. "Resist, resist, raise your fists, the war on Iraq must desist," the group chanted on the platform.

Upon exiting at Rosslyn, marchers took to the streets, heading for the bridge. Organizers called it a success. "I think we got the word out to people in D.C. that we are not all united for a war," said Shirts Off organizer Virginia Rodino, 27.

Staff writers Patricia Davis and Josh White contributed to this story.