About 20 people blocked all lanes and both shoulders of the inner loop of Interstate 495 at the US 29/Colesville Road exit Monday afternoon. Declare Emergency, a group seeking government action on climate change, took credit for the disruption. On its website, the group called on President Biden to declare a national emergency. “It was a collaborative effort involving a young lady who is eight months pregnant and worried about the world her baby would be born into,” Declare Emergency member Paul Severance said in a phone interview. Severance said police made several arrests and saw people who had moved from cars in front of him go limp as police took them away. He assumed some would be charged with resisting arrest. Maryland State Police noted on Twitter that the road had reopened by noon, but did not provide further information. Severance noted that their small group, primarily in Montgomery County, was involved in larger actions on climate issues. “We have mobilized all over the country. We had calls with Noam Chomsky and [comedian-activist] Adam McKay, and we’ve gone door-to-door as well,” he said. “We’re doing everything we can to get more people involved.” He added: “We are non-violent politicians resisting. We respect everyone — the drivers we block, the police, everyone.” The protest was unrelated to a truck convoy that was causing traffic delays on Interstate 95, police said. On July 4, climate change protesters shut down the Beltway with significant backups at the Colesville Road exit. (Video: Luz Lazo) Photos showed several protesters sitting along the Beltway, blocking traffic. State police reopened the Beltway shortly before 2 p.m., according to the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. UPDATE: All travel lanes have reopened on Inner Loop I-495 near Exit 30 for Colesville Rd (US-29). Expect residual delays. #MdTraffic — Montgomery Co OEMHS (@ReadyMontgomery) July 4, 2022 Beltway climate change protesters were one of several groups exercising their right to assemble across the region on Independence Day. A convoy of trucks, the 1776 Restoration Movement, formerly known as “The People’s Convoy,” blocked traffic on I-95 to denounce vaccine mandates. And abortion rights groups rallied outside the Supreme Court building throughout the day to protest the court’s reversal Roe v. Wade. Another group planned a march to the National Mall later Monday night. Chantelle Piper, 32, traveled from New York three weeks ago to help organize Rise Up 4 abortion rights rallies in DC She said she wishes more people had taken to the streets with them, but was pleased with Monday’s turnout. “People answered the call,” he said. “People who have never protested before, people who felt really angry because they didn’t want to celebrate the Fourth of July, not when that right was taken away.” Teo Armus contributed to this report.
