They came. They protested. They sledded on Capitol Hill.

Washington residents defied the long-standing "sledding ban" on Capitol Hill Thursday after a petition to have it lifted gained momentum online. (Video: Jhaan Elker/The Washington Post)

In D.C., our protesters start young. Dozens of kids showed up with their sleds — and parents — in hand to slide down the forbidden Capitol Hill, all in the name of D.C. rights.

The U.S. Capitol Police, who have jurisdiction over the Capitol, have long banned sledding on Capitol grounds. This rule, which D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton called “arcane,” is inconsistently enforced, and D.C. residents wanted to make sure they could sled in the aftermath of today’s big snowstorm.

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Norton wrote a letter to U.S. Capitol Board Chairman Frank Larkin on Wednesday requesting a four-day waiver from the sledding ban, but the police department said it would be enforcing the rules despite the sledding potential. So a number of D.C. residents organized a sled-in, presumably assuming that their kids would have fun and, well, wouldn’t get arrested along the way. 

No sledding, no peace! RT @bridgetbhc: A lot more DC residents have showed up to sled on Capitol Hill pic.twitter.com/uzv1b1vA6I

— Chris Armstrong (@carmstrong07) March 5, 2015

There were hashtags — #sledfreeordie — signs, and of course, lots of sledding.

Another shot pic.twitter.com/FderUkD3sZ

— sharrowsDC (@sharrowsDC) March 5, 2015

Well done @timkrepp! #SledFreeOrDie 1st equal access to the lawn then equal access in the building itself! #DCstatehood

— Josh Burch (@JBurchDC) March 5, 2015

Norton reported that Capitol police did not stop anyone from sledding. Capitol police have not yet responded to a request for comment.

No enforcement of #sledding ban on Capitol Hill today. Thank you Capitol Police!

— Eleanor #DCStatehood Holmes Norton (@EleanorNorton) March 5, 2015

Heavy snow falls throughout the East Coast

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Workers clear piles of snow on 6th Street in the Chinatown neighborhood in Washington, Friday, March 6, 2015. Low temperatures and snow that hit the region Thursday at the tail end of a brutal winter were expected to continue to affect the Mid-Atlantic region into Friday. The National Weather Service says the system is then expected to pull well out into the Atlantic Ocean. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)