Virginia’s Capitol Square to close on annual lobbying day

Amid reports of possible armed protests at state capitals across the country, Virginia officials plan to close Capitol Square in Richmond to the public Monday, an annual day for constituents to lobby lawmakers.

Dena Potter, a spokeswoman for the Department of General Services, confirmed the closure and said her department had also denied permits to four advocacy groups that had been seeking to hold small gatherings on the square Monday.

“We informed them that efforts to prepare for the reported civil unrest means resources wouldn’t be available to accommodate their events,” she said.

Potter said the public would soon see security measures like fencing being put in place in the area around the Thomas Jefferson-designed Capitol. She also said the closure could be extended.

Monday, the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, is typically a chance for citizens to use a day off work to meet with their legislators in what’s informally known as lobby day.

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