When we first moved to Washington some 35 years ago, it was possible to walk right up to the wrought iron fence close to the back of the White House. Over the years, more and more fences have been added; the last time we were there in 2018, I counted five barriers. Today, this is as close as one can get, meaning the Ellipse, a big grassy area normally open to the public, is now closed.

*****

Washington, D.C., the nation's capital, has become a city of fences. They're ugly and everywhere, depriving residents and tourists alike of access to major streets, sidewalks, green areas, federal buildings, landmarks and of course the US Capitol, which ironically is supposed to be The People's House, except that the people are no longer allowed anywhere near it. There are plans afoot to make the barriers permanent, although there has been push-back from the District government, residents, especially those on Capitol Hill, where we live, and some lawmakers.

The idea for this gallery was suggested by Raymond in Canada http://pbase.com/monminou/profile and I thought it was a good one. Some pictures were taken when we had 25,000 National Guard troops guarding the Capitol area, while others are more recent. I hope the opportunities for fence pictures become fewer in time, but I wouldn’t bet on that.

Best to view in "Original" because other versions resized by Pbase are decidedly
unsharp.

‘Get away from the fence!’ posted earlier: