Protestors Climb Cranes at 15th and L at Old Washington Post Site

by Prince Of Petworth January 25, 2017 at 8:55 am 59 Comments

lane
Photo by Lane Horter

Update: 9am Lane writes:

“Protesters climbing a crane in downtown #DC. Guy in vest appears to be chained to crane above blue jacket who is blocking ladder.”

Photo by Jonathan L-D

“Interesting morning at the former @washingtonpost HQ construction site with protesters on the crane at 15th and L.”

alex
Photo by Alex

32396064471_6208743133_z
Photo by Stephen

“One has a small RESIST sign”

Thanks to all who sent emails an tweets starting at 8:30am

“Protesters apparently shackled themselves to the crane in the construction site where the Post used to be. 15th is closed between L and M. Fire tucks and police on scene.”

32518361685_9ce0e0c4b4_z
Photo by Jen

Videos after the jump.

15th street NW is shut down for what appears to be protesters up on the construction cranes. Any news, @PoPville? #protest #DC pic.twitter.com/yhuqpRHWkY

— Megan Gamble (@megan_gamble) January 25, 2017

Video by Megan Gamble

Protestors are on a crane at the old @washingtonpost building construction site. One has a small RESIST sign @PoPville pic.twitter.com/9pZzwNlSQn

— Alison Williams (@alisonwwilliams) January 25, 2017

Video by Alison Williams

frequency

But… what are they protesting?
- Wings-of-Pastrami
  
  It’s no coincidence that Hostess unveiled “Twinkie Ice Cream” yesterday and these chimps are climbing cranes today….
- Vered
  
  You need to ask? Read the sign.
LJ

Nice going, protestors! Nothing gets me on your side faster than wasting thousands of dollars of city taxpayer money through your misdirected outrage! Unless you really are just upset at how quickly that building is being constructed…
- Vered
  
  Forgive me, what’s misdirected please? Any protest costs the city money, including the March for Life this Friday. Do you consider that misdirected as well? Should no one protest because it costs money?
ST21

So tired of protestors..
- DCresident
  
  -1 ugh.
- FridayGirl
  
  I think you picked the wrong place to live then. You might want to look into the ‘burbs.
  - ST21
    
    Nah, I’m good. Thanks for the tip though.
    - Anon
      
      I guess continuing to whine is your other option.
      - ST21
        
        Nah, think i’ll just continue being a normal human. Does the comment “getting tired of these protestors” qualify as whining? Debatable.
    - Joel
      
      Guess you’ll just get used to being unhappy. Do you remember living here under GWB? protests are going to get more frequent not less.
      - ST21
        
        Nah I’m a pretty happy dude. Could not care less about this type of stuff unless it effects my commute, which it kinda did today. Hence the “getting tired of it” comment.
      - Vered
        
        You could move to a country where protests are repressed. That would give you a nice smooth commute.
- neighbor
  
  I’m more tired of rolling back civil rights and environmental protections. I’ll be tired of protesters when we’re all free.
  - ST21
    
    I’m tired of traffic. Sucks.
Wings-of-Pastrami

What a let down. Was hoping it was the Bungee Bandits performing their debut 2017 “Boing-boing Bonanza”
Nope just protesters. Yawn.
lmfb

Normally I agree with you all–drawing out my commute does not make me sympathetic to any cause. BUT with the news from the White House today, I am actually okay with it. Shut the city down. Turn off all the lights. Everyone crouch behind the couch, and maybe the Donald will JUST GO HOME.
PJL

I’m really trying to figure this one out…
Truxton Thomas

Watching them now. Looks like they’re unfurling a long banner.
- Anon
  
  I was wondering about that – seems pretty useless otherwise.
  - Anon
    
    I believe that was sarcastic.
    - Anon
      
      Oops – wrong thread. Meant to respond to stacks below.
Bobby McBob

I agree with the commenters above! All protests should take place during non-business hours, in designated free speech zones in the exurbs, far away from downtown, where they won’t bother anyone! The second your protest mildly inconveniences me or causes cops who were already on duty to have something to do, I no longer care about your cause! Enough of these selfish protesters who only care about their cause and have no regard for the enormous strain they’re putting on traffic and the city budget!
- stacksp
  
  Is it really a protest if it doesn’t inconvenient or bother people?
  - Anon
    
    I read that as sarcasm.
    - stacksp
      
      I can see that now
- ST21
  
  Well most of these protestors don’t have jobs so they like to inconvenience everyone else.
  - Bobby McBob
    
    That’s right! That is always true of protestors! I live near 15th and L and I went over to the crane to talk to them, and they said they are just losers who don’t have jobs, that’s why they do this! They don’t even know what “RESIST” means! They also said they like to claim unemployment benefits TWICE, so they can waste more of your tax dollars! Off with their heads, that’s how I feel!
    - dcgator
      
      SAD!
      - FridayGirl
        
        this literally made me lol
  - stacksp
    
    I have no idea where this idea came from but it’s ofeten repeated as if it’s somehow a fact. People have jobs and can stay out late on weeknights, party, drink, run marathons, operate side businesses, travel the world, play in a rock band and participate in activism etc….
  - FridayGirl
    
    P.S. They totally have jobs. “Greenpeace said the seven climbers are part of their non-government environmental organization that aims to expose global environmental problems.”
    .
    wusa9.com/news/local/dc/protesters-climb-crane-in-northwest-dc/392413898
  - Vered
    
    You are saying a lot of silly things today. Don’t you embarrass yourself?
anonymouse_dianne

It’s Green Peace. They are usually pretty cool.
- Vered
  
  Not always, but this time yes. They are very good at this kind of daredevil stunt.
DY

The problem with these kinds of protests is that the only people who actually notice them are the people who are inconvenienced. You think Donald Trump or members of Congress care that some hippies hung a banner on a crane? They won’t even notice and won’t care.

The people who do notice are the commuters who are late for work, the firefigthers who now have to climb the crane and risk their lives to unchain these protestors, and most all, the construction workers who can’t work today. Notice in those pictures you don’t see any orange vests or people at work — this protest literally takes money from all of those worker’s pockets. Do you think that’s going to make them want to agree with you or vote the way you want?
- DY
  
  Actually…looking more closely I do see a few construction vests. Nonetheless, this undoubtedly interferes with the ability of those workers to work and earn a living today, all for a pointless protest
  - Anon
    
    The workers are getting paid regardless.
    - Idontgetit
      
      They may be sending workers home.
- Bobby McBob
  
  Exactly! Why couldn’t they build a crane on the lawn of the White House, and then go hang their banner from THAT?!?! This is just selfish posturing on their part!
  - anon
    
    @Bobby McBob. You may think your sarcasm is clever, but it’s not. All these protestors are doing is giving the President fodder for his twitter feed and red meat to throw his followers. Hanging a big “resist” banner does not equate to actual resistance — that requires thankless hard work that comes without glory. This protest is only about glorifying the protestors.
    - Anon
      
      LET ME PRESENT YOU WITH SOME ALTERNATIVE FACTS
    - stacksp
      
      Did/Do you feel the same way about last weekends Woman’s march?
      - FridayGirl
        
        +1. And how do you know they aren’t doing other hard work every day? Do you know them personally?
      - anon
        
        @Woman’s March. There were way too many people and factions at the Woman’s March to generalize about everyone’s motives. I’m sure many were sincere, some were there to strike a pose and look cool, others were there to provoke. Whatever. I’m not a march/protest person myself, but to each his or her own. I have little tolerance for people who block people from getting to work, though.
      - FridayGirl
        
        So the hundreds of thousands of people who may have blocked service workers from getting to work easily last Saturday were ok? The world doesn’t revolve around your 9-5, anon. Sorry to burst your bubble.
      - anon
        
        @FridayGirl. There’s a difference between a planned, legal protest and an unplanned act of trespass and/or vandalism. There’s also a difference between a weekend protest and a rush hour one. The world does not revolve around my 9-5, but the world does not revolve around your cause either. I can choose to share in it or not, but that should be my choice. In this particular instance, I might actually share some of the protestors’ sentiments, but that’s besides the point.
      - SEDC
        
        @Anon, Actually the world DOES revolve around their cause technically
    - Bobby McBob
      
      @anon. You may think you’re super-duper #woke and no one else really gets what protesting and fighting the status quo are all about, but you don’t. Hope this helps.
- John Lentini
  
  That used to be the case. DJT is going to get pissed off at the sign, will probably tweet about it, and if we’re lucky, get distracted from his destructive agenda!
Prince Of Petworth

https://twitter.com/danberger/status/824271144475836417 Sign is up!
P. Inthewind

send in the hawks….
- Prince Of Petworth
  
  Today’s hawks posting at 11:30am :)
bruno

Did they vote?!?! It seems a little late now. Where was all this enthusiasm before the election?
- FridayGirl
  
  Um, there was plenty of enthusiasm before the election, but unfortunately our country doesn’t elect leaders based on popular vote. If anyone needed more enthusiasm it was independents and moderates in middle America to not vote for He Whose Name Shall Not Be Mentioned, not protesters who live in a liberal city.
  - HaileUnlikely
    
    I hate to say it but I’m not sure this is completely accurate. In states that Obama won in 2012 but Trump won in 2016, Trump got somewhere between very slightly fewer and very slightly more votes than Romney did, but Clinton got waaay less votes than Obama did, including in many cities that still voted heavily for Clinton but not nearly as heavily as they had voted for Obama before. I’m pretty sure I saw data showing that if Clinton had gotten as many votes in Detroit alone as Obama did in the previous election, she would have won Michigan (if not Detroit and Michigan, then other city/state but same thing).
    - Anon
      
      I’m totally with you! If only Green Peace hung a few more signs just prior to the election, then things would be far different.
- Anon
  
  This is utterly moronic. Have you been living under a rock? There was a lot of “enthusiasm” before the election.

Subscribe to our mailing list