Disgruntled farmer ends D.C. protest

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2003

A disgruntled tobacco farmer who blames the collapse of his farm on federal policies ended his stand-off with District of Columbia police today.

Dwight W. Watson, 50, of North Carolina, had kept authorities at bay since Monday when he drove a John Deere tractor into a reflecting pool near the Washington Monument. Police were worried that he had explosive devices.

The stand-off snarled traffic around the monument and forced the closure of government buildings. The south Department of Interior building, which used to be entirely occupied by the BIA, had been shut down.

The BIA vacated the building after the 1973 occupation by the American Indian Movement and moved to the main DOI building across the street. The main building is undergoing some renovations so a number of employees are temporarily housed in the south building.

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N.C. Farmer Ends Standoff With Police (The Washington Post 3/19)
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