Virginia State Police Clear Pro-Palestinian Protest Camp Outside Blinken’s HomeVirginia State Police Clear Pro-Palestinian Protest Camp Outside Blinken’s Home Early Friday morning, Virginia State Police and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) personnel removed pro-Palestinian protesters who had been camped outside the home of Secretary of State Antony Blinken for months. The protest camp, known as “Kibbutz Blinken,” had been present for 183 days without any safety concerns, according to the protesters. VDOT had declared the camp illegal earlier this week due to safety hazards, prompting the eviction. Only two protesters were present at the time of the removal. Matthew Waterman, one of the protesters, claimed he was dragged from his tent by police. According to authorities, the eviction decision was made “to ensure the safety of the traveling public.” As the protesters were being cleared, Chain Bridge Road was closed for several hours. By 11:30 a.m., the road was reopened. Virginia State Troopers are monitoring the scene to prevent any further crossings of the VDOT line. The protesters believe the eviction was politically motivated. In a statement, they said: “As of the day of the forced dismantling and invasion, the peace vigil… had been at its location for 183 days with no safety or security risks to participants or motorists.”
Early Friday morning, Virginia State Police and Virginia Department of Transportation personnel cleared pro-Palestinian protesters who had been camped out for months outside the home of Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
After the camp was removed, Chain Bridge Road was closed for several hours.
There were only two protesters present when the protesters were removed. Matthew Waterman, one of the protesters, told News4 he was dragged from the tent where he was sleeping.
“I hear the Virginia State troopers outside the tent announcing themselves and telling us to leave. So I rushed to grab my stuff and came out of my tent to start shooting video. Police cars as far as I can see,” he said.
Friday marked six months since the camp began. In May, there was an electric sign warning motorists of people on the side of the road.
Earlier this week, VDOT declared the camp illegal. “Due to these unsafe conditions, the road was returned to its original condition to ensure the safety of the traveling public on Virginia roadways,” they said in a statement to News4.
Waterman believes the decision to evict the protesters was political. As he began to leave, he picked up his phone to record himself trying to get past the police line.
“As of the day of the forced dismantling and invasion, the peace vigil (known as “Kibbutz Blinken”) had been at its location for 183 days with no safety or security risks to participants or motorists,” the protesters said in a statement.
Authorities then threatened to arrest him and ordered him to get into his car and leave the location.
By 11:30 a.m., the road was open again. Virginia State Troopers are now monitoring the scene. A spokeswoman said they would remain there if necessary to prevent anyone from crossing the VDOT line.
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