Update at 4:50 p.m. — After a peaceful occupation of one of the bridge’s sidewalks, protesters have largely dispersed. Traffic on the Key Bridge is currently light and unobstructed.
Earlier: Several dozen Arlington County police officers in riot gear are stationed on the Virginia side of the Key Bridge, waiting to see if protesters from the Occupy D.C. movement decide to cross.
Local authorities are warning of possible rush hour traffic impacts as a result of today’s scheduled Occupy NoVA and Occupy D.C. marches to the Key Bridge.
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) are advising the public about the possibility of traffic delays during the evening rush hour today (17 Nov) due to a planned demonstration and march by Occupy DC in the vicinity of the Key Bridge and McPherson Square.
It’s not clear how many people will show up for the march. At this point, Occupy NoVA appears to be a loose coalition of, at most, a couple dozen people. And unlike their Occupy D.C. and Occupy Wall Street brethren, Occupy NoVA is not occupying anything at the moment. The group has not yet established any encampments — but they say that future plans are up for discussion.
Though Arlington is generally considered a bastion of progressivism in an otherwise right-leaning state, would county residents and workers support a move by Occupy NoVA to occupy a local park or square?
The march is timed to coincide with a march by Occupy D.C. from McPherson Square to the Key Bridge — which some fear may snarl afternoon rush hour traffic.
“A national day of action is taking place around the country in the Occupy movement,” Occupy NoVA said on its website. “We are going to be marching on this day in solidarity with Occupy DC, from Welburn Square to join in a Labor-Community-Occupy Day of Action and March on the Key Bridge in Rosslyn/Georgetown in protest of the deterioration of our public infrastructure and public services.”
