Washington, D.C

Republican lawmakers urge DC leaders to clear growing GWU protest encampment

Published

2 years ago

May 2, 2024

Republican lawmakers urge DC leaders to clear growing GWU protest encampment

Pro-Palestinian protest at GWU draws attention of far-right members of Congress

On Wednesday, members of Congress visited the George Washington University campus to observe the pro-Palestinian firsthand. The Republican lawmakers are calling on D.C. leaders to clear the encampment. FOX 5’s Nana-Sentuo Bonsu has the story.

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, members of Congress visited the George Washington University campus to observe the pro-Palestinian protest firsthand.

The Republican lawmakers are calling on D.C. leaders to clear the encampment.

Last Thursday, when the protest began at GWU, there were about two dozen tents on a portion of the University Yard – and nearly a week later – over a hundred tents covered the entire area, spilling over onto H Street — forcing police to block off a section of the road.

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) uses a bullhorn to be heard over the crowd noise during a press conference at the George Washington University Gaza encampment, Washington, DC, May 1, 2024. Hundreds of students opposed to the far-right Republicans who visi

FOX 5 asked organizers when they plan on leaving, and they said they’ll go when their demands are met.

Pro-Palestinian supporters want immediate disclosure of all investments and endowments of the university, and divestment of all funds related to Israel and academic partnerships.

Across the country, there have been similar demonstrations at several universities, with some turning violent – students and police clashing – leading to arrests.

Since the beginning of this demonstration, leaders at GWU stated that the encampment was unauthorized.

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) speaks with reporters as he and other far-right Republican members of the House Oversight Committee visit the George Washington University Gaza encampment, Washington, DC, May 1, 2024. GWU students established the camp the p

Republican members of the House Oversight Committee stopped by the yard Wednesday to check out the demonstration.

“You’re not allowed to camp out on the lawn of the university, said Rep. Byron Donalds, one of the Republican members of the House Oversight Committee who stopped by the yard Wednesday to check out the demonstration. “The president has asked for the encampment to be disbursed. That is trespassing. Now Muriel Bowser needs to step up and support GWU.”

According to reports, GWU asked the Metropolitan Police Department for assistance to take down the encampment last week, but Mayor Bowser denied the request.

D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson told FOX 5 on his way to the encampment, that he didn’t have any information regarding the mayor’s actions.

“What public safety leaders have learned over the years is that it’s important to handle this kind of protest carefully, so it doesn’t escalate,” Mendelson said.

A Washington, DC, police officer stands on duty at a Gaza solidarity encampment at George Washington University, Washington, DC, April, 29, 2024. GWU students have maintained the encampment for four days in conjunction with other DC-area universities

Across from the yard filled with tents are pro-Israel supporters holding the Israeli flag.

“If you look at Jewish history, 6 million of us died in Europe, and it’s sad to see the signs here that say ‘Jews should go back to Europe’ which is their homeland,” said Gabe Mahfar, a GWU freshman.

“I need to be here to support my people. It’s as simple as that,” added Matt Engel, another pro-Israel supporter.

In a statement sent to FOX 5, the Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson said, “MPD regularly supports peaceful First Amendment activities through the District of Columbia. MPD does not comment on operational tactics and procedures. The George Washington University Police Department has the lead in the response to First Amendment demonstrations occurring on GWU grounds. Since Thursday, MPD has stood in support of its response. Demonstrations are also occurring on public spaces adjacent to the university. MPD will continue to monitor this First Amendment activity, both on and off GWU property. This activity has remained peaceful.”

GWU president speaks out against pro-Palestine protesters

George Washington University’s president says the encampment on University Yard violates the rules of conduct and behavior. She also said the actions of some protesters have been highly offensive to many members of the university community, and that the hateful language being displayed has no place on campus. FOX 5’s Shomari Stone has the story.

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Washington, D.C

Thousands turn out – again – as third 'No Kings' rallies take over Maryland streets

Published

6 hours ago

March 28, 2026

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Thousands turn out – again – as third 'No Kings' rallies take over Maryland streets

Thousands turned out at the dozens of No Kings rallies scattered across Maryland, part of the millions expected across the country for the third such event. In Maryland, turnout was particularly heavy in Hagerstown, near a proposed ICE detention facility.

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Washington, D.C

WATCH LIVE: No Kings march and rally in DC

Published

18 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

WATCH LIVE: No Kings march and rally in DC

WASHINGTON – Thousands are expected gather in Washington, D.C. for a “No Kings” march and rally.

Here’s everything you need to know:

What is the No Kings protest?

What we know:

Organized locally by area chapters of Indivisible and allied grassroots groups, the event aims to draw protesters to downtown Washington and surrounding counties to oppose policies of the Trump administration and to voice broader concerns about civil rights and democratic norms.

No Kings protest details

Timeline:

The march will kick off at 10 a.m., with participants gathering at Memorial Circle near Arlington Cemetery, with additional access from the Blue Line or nearby parking at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, according to the event organizers. There is no public parking in the immediate area, but participants can be dropped off at the circle.

From there, the procession will head across the Memorial Bridge into Washington, D.C., passing the Lincoln Memorial and continuing on to the Washington Monument.

At the conclusion of the march, participants can walk to a downtown rally, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Other ‘No Kings’ rallies in the DMV

Dig deeper:

In addition to the main rally in downtown D.C., several other demonstrations tied to “No Kings 3” are scheduled around the DMV this Saturday.

In Arlington, Virginia, activists are organizing a march across the Memorial Bridge beginning at 10 a.m., with protesters expected to continue into West Potomac Park before joining larger crowds in the District proper, for example.

There are hundreds of “No Kings” events scheduled to take place this Saturday throughout the DMV. You can click here to find a list of all of them.

How to watch No Kings march and rally in DC

What you can do:

FOX 5 DC will be covering No Kings in D.C. all day on FOX LOCAL and in the liveplayer at the top of this story.

FOX 5 DC is available to watch for free on Roku, Amazon FireTV, Apple TV, Google Android TV and Vizio with the FOX LOCAL app. Here’s how to download FOX LOCAL on your mobile phone.

Washington, D.C.News

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Washington, D.C

‘Strong smell’ shuts down flights at major DC-area airports for the second time this month

Published

1 day ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

‘Strong smell’ shuts down flights at major DC-area airports for the second time this month

Check out what’s clicking on FoxBusiness.com.

A reported “strong smell” at a key air traffic control center disrupted flights Friday evening at major airports across the Washington, D.C., region for the second time in two weeks.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily halted flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI), Charlottesville–Albemarle Airport (CHO) and Richmond International Airport (RIC), the agency told FOX Business in an email.

The FAA said the disruptions were due to a “strong smell” at the Potomac Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) center, which manages airspace in the region.

GROUND STOP LIFTED AT MAJOR DC-AREA AIRPORTS AFTER CHEMICAL ODOR DISRUPTS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL

An FAA air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va. (Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

It was not immediately clear what caused the smell.

Ground stops at Dulles, Reagan National and BWI remained in effect until around 8 p.m. ET before being lifted, according to the FAA’s website.

NEWARK AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS LOST RADAR, RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WITH PLANES FOR OVER A MINUTE, SPARKING CHAOS

The FAA said the disruption was due to a “strong smell” at the Potomac Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) center. (Flightradar24)

As of 8:30 p.m., Reagan National was experiencing ground delays, while BWI continued to see departure delays.

Earlier this month, a ground stop was similarly issued at several airports in the Washington, D.C., region after a chemical odor was detected at the TRACON center.

FATAL LAGUARDIA COLLISION RENEWS FOCUS ON RUNWAY INCURSION RISKS ACROSS US

Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy speaks at a news conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images / Getty Images)

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The temporary ground stop March 13 similarly affected DCA, IAD, BWI and RIC, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at the time.

Duffy said the smell came from an overheated circuit board, which has since been replaced.

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