Good morning, Washington. By all accounts yesterday’s series of anti-war protests led to dozens of arrests, caused more than a few traffic disruptions, and were perpetrated by a group of creative people who are obviously passionately against further U.S. military involvement in Iraq. But the consensus also seems to be that their numbers weren’t great enough to have made much of a lasting impression. The Post estimates that fewer than 1,000 people participated in all the events across downtown. A total of 33 people were arrested, most of them on charges of attempting to enter the Internal Revenue Service building without proper documentation.

Montgomery County’s Leggett Getting $65,000 Bathroom: When you live in a city where government employees are able to steal $50 million from the Office of Tax and Revenue, it’s difficult to be impressed by a little largesse being exposed inside the Montgomery County Executive’s office. Still, this story by the Post about Ike Leggett spending $65,225 of public funds on a new bathroom for himself at the same time he’s proposing raising property taxes and charging extra for 911 calls thanks to a $297 million budget shortfall makes for a good read. Leggett claims the private bathroom, which includes a small sitting room and shower, is necessary for security reasons. The best quote is from Leggett’s predecessor, former County Executive Douglas Duncan, who says he never felt unsafe using the public restroom in the building.

Police Officer Shoots Teen Trying to Rob Him: An off-duty Metropolitan Police officer shot a teenager who was trying to rob him Tuesday night on the 4600 block of Hanna Place SE. The officer was walking to visit relatives at about 9 p.m. when a 17-year-old used a knife to try to rob him. The officer shot the teen in the leg, and he was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Neither the officer nor the teen has been named.

Briefly Noted: Foundation donates $25 million to Newseum … Nationals offer parking for the disabled … EPA fine against area gas station owner upheld … Clear Card program now up and running at National and Dulles airports.

This Day in DCist: In 2007 we started noticing those R2D2 mail boxes popping up around the city, and in 2006 we contemplated the new Circulator bus line around the National Mall.

Photo by andertho