Trump Wants to Shut Down Rallies and Public Demonstrations on the National Mall and In Front of the White House

Proposal Would Shred First Amendment Rights

In an attempt to stymie public displays of opposition to the Trump administration, the presidentially controlled National Park Service (NPS) has proposed unconstitutional restrictions on public events and demonstrations in front of the White House and on the National Mall. I joined with forty-two other concerned individuals and non-profit organizations dedicated to protecting U.S. democracy, to formally oppose these restrictions as we filed official comments in opposition to the NPS’s rule changes.

Here is an outline of the NPS proposal along with my reasons for opposing it:

1. In a breathtaking violation of the First Amendment, the NPS proposes
   to charge demonstrators a fee before allowing the demonstration to take place. In other words, President Trump doesn’t believe free speech should be free;
2. Proposal requires a permit to exercise a group’s free speech rights under the Constitution. The very idea that the government would require its permission to be obtained before citizens peacefully assemble is anathema to our First Amendment rights; and,
3. The NPS wants to eliminate demonstrations from in front of the White House. Under this proposal the sidewalk will be off limits for the exercise of free speech in America. The next time you see old newsreel footage of peaceful demonstrations it was likely taken in front of the White House on this most iconic space in the country. Americans through the years have used this space to demonstrate their support or opposition to the most vexing issues facing our nation, including women’s suffrage, the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, nuclear weapons, abortion, gay marriage, climate change, and gun control.

Why are these proposals to limit our rights under the U.S. Constitution being made now? One need only look to the occupant of the White House to answer that question. Trump has a notoriously thin skin and can’t even take the spoofs offered up on Saturday Night Live. History has shown that demonstrations in Washington on the Mall and in front of the White House have monumental consequences. Maybe that’s why Donald Trump fears allowing people the forum to voice their opposition to his presidency and its clear and present danger to our democracy.