78 arrested for blocking traffic in last day of D.C. fossil-fuel protests

Police arrested 78 people Friday as Indigenous groups and other environmental activists wrapped up five days of "People vs. Fossil Fuels" demonstrations in Washington, D.C. The arrests came after about 100 people sitting in the street refused to leave when U.S. Capitol Police warned them to disperse or face arrest for obstructing traffic. Three of those arrested also were charged with assault on a police officer, Capitol Police said. During the week, hundreds of protesters called for political leaders to reject fossil fuels to fight climate change and show respect toward Indigenous communities.
On Thursday, 55 people were arrested after protesters trying to occupy the Interior Department clashed with security personnel, causing injuries on both sides.
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Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.
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