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Helen Betts | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> Washington Fenced In tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Washington Fenced In

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.
‘Get away from the fence!’
‘Get away from the fence!’
The inacessible White House
The inacessible White House
Beyond the outer fence: more fences
Beyond the outer fence: more fences
Even memorials are out of reach
Even memorials are out of reach
No right turn, no right lane
No right turn, no right lane
Are six barriers enough?
Are six barriers enough?
Museum, anyone? Good luck with that.
Museum, anyone? Good luck with that.
Lafayette Square, closed to protestors and everybody else
Lafayette Square, closed to protestors and everybody else
St. John’s Episcopal Church: Off limits
St. John’s Episcopal Church: Off limits
Permanently red
Permanently red
No more ‘dog park’
No more ‘dog park’
The expanding perimeter
The expanding perimeter
No reading at the Library of Congress
No reading at the Library of Congress
Dirksen Senate Office Building behind bars
Dirksen Senate Office Building behind bars
Good luck visiting your Congressman
Good luck visiting your Congressman
Cannon House Office Building
Cannon House Office Building
No loitering near the Capitol
No loitering near the Capitol
Armed and ready
Armed and ready
Caught in the act
Caught in the act
As far as the eye can see
As far as the eye can see
Even this is a memory now
Even this is a memory now
Now there’s ‘protection’ from pedestrians
Now there’s ‘protection’ from pedestrians
Camped out
Camped out
Federal buildings behind fences, too
Federal buildings behind fences, too
3 miles of fencing around the US Capitol area
3 miles of fencing around the US Capitol area
Forget a visit to the US Botanic Garden
Forget a visit to the US Botanic Garden
So near, yet so far
So near, yet so far
No such thing as too much fencing for Congress
No such thing as too much fencing for Congress
Troops guarding the Capitol sickened, hospitalized due to ‘below substandard’ food
Troops guarding the Capitol sickened, hospitalized due to ‘below substandard’ food
Still standing, for now
Still standing, for now