Social Justice and climate groups blockade much of Capitol Hill in AM Rush Hour

Video-cops pre-empt the boat, but other blockades set up all over Capitol Hill while they do 2 min 22 sec

On Dec 7, 2021 social justice and climate groups launched waves of blockaders against AM rush hour traffic near the US Capitol. Cops managed to pre-empt Extinction Rebellion DC's boat, only to get Code Pink's Peace Tank blocking Independence Ave anyway. Other blockades hit Penn Ave NW and SE, Mass Ave NE, and there was even a report on radio of traffic issues near the White House.

MPD and the Capitol Police seemed to have a single-minded focus on preventing a repeat of the hours-long Nov 19 boat blockade of NY Ave NW, especially on Capitol Hill. Heavy vehicle traffic is also closely monitored near the US Capitol. Thus they easily detected the boat, only to find themselves in the equivalent of a football game against a team with five quarterbacks throwing four passes at once at the same time as trying to run one ball. On top of all else, some teams that specialize in blockades would have been able to hide the team in the boat, hop out when stopped, and lock down right where they were faster than the cops could get out of their cars, run to them, and stop them.

The result was corporate lobbyists and their "centrist Democrat" friends along with their GOP co-conspirators found that going anywhere near the Capitol in a limo was not an option. Traffic was turned away blocks from the protests, which in turn were blocks from the Capitol.

The various blockades had different themes: Extinction Rebellion focussed on climate, which was also a focus along with Indigenous sovereignty and social justice at Arminarm's 4th and Mass NE blockade. Code Pink's "tank" blockade backing up the pre-empted boat emphasize that a lot of social programs (that the GOP is blocking over supposed cost) could be paid for by redirecting money out of the military budget. Spaces in Action focussed on social justice issues, and a mobile voting rights march served to block off approaches to the Capitol from SE.

One banner seen at 4th and Penn NW read "Deadline for Democracy." This is in fact the case. If the filibuster is not abolished, than voting rights legislation won't pass. If voting rights legislation doesn't pass, the GOP voting restrictions put into place in the past year will hand the 2022 midterm elections to the GOP no matter what the true vote would have been. That in turn would set up Trump's return for 2024, and could mark the beginning of a open dictatorship with fake elections, as is so common globally.