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Washington climate protests leaves dozens of activists arrested

Operating under the umbrella of #ShutDownDC, at least 20 different groups hit key points of the Beltway commute.
Image: Climate change activists block early morning rush hour traffic in Washington on Sept. 23, 2019.
Climate change activists block early morning rush hour traffic in Washington on Sept. 23, 2019.Michael McCoy / Reuters

Climate change activists flooded downtown Washington on Monday, snarling the rush-hour commute by blocking some the city's busiest intersections.

Operating under the umbrella of #ShutDownDC, at least 20 different groups — including the environmentalist 350.org and Black Lives Matter — hit key points of the Beltway commute, NBC Washington reported.

At the corner of New York Avenue and 3rd Street NW, at least 26 people had been arrested by 9:30 a.m., according to a Metropolitan Police Department spokeswoman.

Other sites or major traffic disruptions, NBC Washington reported, were at Independence Avenue SW at 12th Street; 16th Street NW at K Street NW; New York Avenue NE at Florida Avenue NE; and North Capitol Street NE at Massachusetts Avenue NE.

There were no immediate injuries reported from the intersection blockades or any out-of-the-ordinary disruptions on Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority trains, police and transportation officials said.