Since late July, Virginia state troopers have kept an ever-present vigil near U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s Arlington home. The troopers’ everyday presence comes after they cleared protesters from an encampment in front of and across the street from the Blinken home in late July.
Protesters had been there for six months. The encampment included anywhere from a few to a few dozen protesters with tents, flags, banners and even red liquid created to mimic blood thrown toward Blinken’s motorcade and other vehicles coming and going from his private home.
Protesters said the location of their demonstration was important, as they tried to appeal to Blinken to stop supporting Israel’s actions in Gaza.
On several visits since the encampment was cleared, News4 noted at least two and usually more state police vehicles parked near the Blinken home. Officially, Virginia State Police told the News4 I-Team, “personnel remain along that stretch of Chain Bridge Road to ensure the safe and consistent movement of traffic in the area."
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Activists, however, tell the I-Team they believe their First Amendment rights are at risk, as they’ve been threatened with arrest by state troopers if they return to protest in the area.
Hazmadi Barmada, a leader of what she called a “peace vigil,” told the I-Team, “There are members of our group that would love to go back. We all would love to be there. We are taxpayers. Those are our streets.”
Barmada and other members of the group were in Arlington County Circuit Court for two days this week asking a judge to allow them back onto the road to protest. The hearing will continue next week, on Oct. 2.
During two days of testimony, Virginia Department of Transportation leaders and State Department diplomatic security officials told a judge the “encampers” were trespassing on state land and a danger to drivers and themselves.
As proof of safety concerns, the officials cited traffic slowdowns, flags that at times flew over the road, a propane tank in one of the tents and protesters standing on top of concrete road barriers close to traffic.
Barmada called the situation a “political circus.” The attorney for the group elicited testimony from VDOT that 2.4 million cars drove past protesters during the six-month encampment. No protester was hurt and no serious accident was ever reported, according to the attorney.
The State Department pays to protect the secretary of state but apparently not the road in front of his home. Virginia taxpayers are picking that up.
Using a Freedom of Information Act request, the I-Team found Virginia State Police spent $339,642 on the Chain Bridge Road Operation from July 26 – the day they removed protesters – until Sept. 10.
That figure doesn’t count thousands more in costs since then. It’s a figure that climbs every day.
When the I-Team asked the State Department if it would pay any of that cost, the agency referred us to VDOT and state police, saying, “Decisions and actions regarding road and public safety are assessed and determined by VDOT.”
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Virginia State Police told us, “There is no indication that the State Police will be reimbursed for any of these costs.”
