This is what used to be Independence Avenue, one of two main arteries that run from Capitol Hill past the National Mall to the rest of the city, both of which are closed to traffic. Lining the left side of the street are the House office buildings, now inaccessible to the Members’ constituents.

*****

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.

Dirksen Senate Office Building behind bars, posted earlier: