The pro-Palestinian encampment outside of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s Arlington, Virginia, home is no more.
The encampment along the 400 block of Chain Bridge Road (Route 123) in McLean had been lined with protesters holding signs with phrases such as “Let Gaza Live” and “Full Ceasefire in Gaza now,” since January.
The Virginia Department of Transportation said the encampment “which includes people, as well as concrete barriers, tents, flags, and other items occupying VDOT’s right of way” was removed Friday.
Chain Bridge Road (Route 123) doesn’t have sidewalks or pedestrian accessibility, and “is a primary highway owned and maintained by VDOT.”
The transportation agency said the encampment made the roadway “unsafe for motorists, bikers and pedestrians and blocks access to emergency vehicles and personnel,” in a statement to WTOP.
“Due to these unsafe conditions, the road has been returned to its original state in order to ensure the safety of the traveling public on Virginia’s roadways,” VDOT said.
WTOP also reached out to Virginia State Police for comment.
The northbound lanes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway between Spout Run Parkway and Chain Bridge Road (Route 123) will close temporarily in the coming weeks for construction, the National Park Service announced last week.
Removal of the encampment was first reported by ARLnow.
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