Get Off My Lawn: Trump Proposal Could Squelch Protests in D.C.

[markjs]

Get Off My Lawn: Trump Proposal Could Squelch Protests in D.C.

Donald Trump’s presidency has inspired massive protests, with hundreds of thousands of women marching on the National Mall and scientists swarming the White House fence.

But now the Trump administration is seeking to restrict protests by effectively blocking them along the north sidewalk of the White House and making it easier for police to shut them down. A National Park Service proposal also opens the door to charging organizers for the cost of putting up barricades or re-seeding grass.

The proposed regulation could curtail demonstrations on some of Washington’s most iconic staging grounds for protests, including the National Mall where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I have a dream”’ speech in 1963. It also includes Lafayette Square across from the White House and the Pennsylvania Avenue sidewalks in front of the Trump International Hotel.

Read More: Trump Attacks ‘Arsonist’ Democrats as Polls Show House at Risk

The initiative dovetails with Republicans’ increasingly heated campaign rhetoric over “mob rule” and the boisterous protests against the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Trump has also been antagonistic toward protesters, once waxing nostalgic about how it used to be socially acceptable to assault them.

“When you think about petitioning your government for redress of grievances, this is the nation’s capital -- this is where you come to do it,” said Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, executive director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, which opposes the effort. “And now you have the Trump administration that is not only engaging in extreme rhetoric against demonstrators and suggesting that protests should be illegal,” but “taking concrete actions to suppress dissent and suppress free speech.”...

Only year two, more and more the despot....:roll:

 

[Moot]

I think it's been tried before...but obviously it failed thanks to the First Amendment and legal precedent.

 

[CMPancake]

But Remember, it was Obama was always out to destroy the Constitution.

 

[Xelor]

I wonder whom they'll charge each July 4[SUP]th[/SUP]?

 

[trixare4kids]

Yeah, Trump, the big, authoritarian meanie who is telling people to get off his lawn because he doesn't like what they have to say. Could Bloomberg be anymore biased and dishonest? The titled article throws off the entire reason the proposals are being suggested in the first place.

Read.

the park service cited concern about the degradation of historic sites, monuments and turf as reasons for limiting the number of protesters in certain areas.

The agency has not produced an estimate for how much money it spends annually to support protests and rallies, but spokesman Mike Litterst said that, on average, the processing of permits alone costs the park service $700,000 in staff time per year.

The number of protests in Washington has increased substantially to an average 750 a year, and they are growing in size. Last year, D.C. had 714 permitted demonstrations, including the Women’s March, in which tens of thousands packed the Mall and city streets.

 

[The Mark]

Yeah, Trump, the big, authoritarian meanie who is telling people to get off his lawn because he doesn't like what they have to say. Could Bloomberg be anymore biased and dishonest? The titled article throws off the entire reason the proposals are being suggested in the first place.

Read.

The solution is to fund the preservation of those sites, and protection of some specific areas perhaps, not ban protests on them.

These are public spaces with historical significance to the idea of protesting, in some cases.

They should not be off limits.

 

[trixare4kids]

The solution is to fund the preservation of those sites, and protection of some specific areas perhaps, not ban protests on them.

These are public spaces with historical significance to the idea of protesting, in some cases.

They should not be off limits.

My understanding from the article is that it is only one part of the WH grounds they are proposing to be blocked off, the north sidewalk of the White House.

 

[Chomsky]

So no protesting in front of the National Mall? Nor on Pennsy Ave, by the new Trump Hotel? I call bull****.

If the concern is maintenance costs, then federally fund it! Let's not reign-in the 1st A, in this preeminent and most important and historical location to express one's rights.

 

[Chomsky]

My understanding from the article is that it is only one part of the WH grounds they are proposing to be blocked off, the north sidewalk of the White House.

Not just the north sidewalk, but the damn National Mall! That's a big deal!

The proposed regulation could curtail demonstrations on some of Washington’s most iconic staging grounds for protests, including the National Mall where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I have a dream”’ speech in 1963.

 

[LosAngelesAngel]

~ Just hire Clint Eastwood. Give him a shotgun and he'll take care of things . ´:gunsmilie

 

[year2late]

I think it's been tried before...but obviously it failed thanks to the First Amendment and legal precedent.

I am curious, which POTUS tried to stop it?

 

[year2late]

Not just the north sidewalk, but the damn National Mall! That's a big deal!

MLK may have had a dream......but our current WH is a nightmare.

 

[SMTA]

Only year two, more and more the despot....:roll:

Surely Trump the morons taxpayer funded rally blitz cost much, much more.
**** Trump.

 

[TheParser]

I agree with President Trump (according to the info in the OP) that certain areas of our capital should be off limits to demonstrators.

For example, I feel it was totally inappropriate for those demonstrators to mob the steps of the Supreme Court.

 

[ludin]

Not just the north sidewalk, but the damn National Mall! That's a big deal!

You have to consider the source as well bloomberg is a liberal hack.
So far it seems the bloomberg is full of it.

the NPS is looking to charge a fee for permitting. This would help cover the cost of processing and
the cleanup after these protesters leave.

from my reading they are just adding some more monuments for restricted access for protesting similar to the existing momuments today.
This rule would create restricted areas at the World War II Memorial, the Korean War
Veterans Memorial, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Demonstrations and special
events would be prohibited in these restricted areas, except for official commemorative
ceremonies.

Just like the other monuments have restricted area's for protesters.
this is nothing new and this is upheld via SCOTUS decision.

 

[Buzz62]

Only year two, more and more the despot....:roll:

Yeah, Trump, the big, authoritarian meanie who is telling people to get off his lawn because he doesn't like what they have to say. Could Bloomberg be anymore biased and dishonest? The titled article throws off the entire reason the proposals are being suggested in the first place.

Read.

Perfect. Park services wants to close off some places to protests because the clean-up is getting expensive.
Yet the tweenkie class read that and understand Trump wants to close off some places to protests.

Trump Derangement Syndrome strikes again!

 

[Eriech]

Only year two, more and more the despot....:roll:

Destruction of public and private property is not a first ammendment right. Assault is not a first ammendment right.


Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

 

[trixare4kids]

Not just the north sidewalk, but the damn National Mall! That's a big deal!

Read your sentence again. It said the proposed regulation "could" curtail, including the National Mall... It didn't say it would.

 

[trixare4kids]

You have to consider the source as well bloomberg is a liberal hack.
So far it seems the bloomberg is full of it.

the NPS is looking to charge a fee for permitting. This would help cover the cost of processing and
the cleanup after these protesters leave.

from my reading they are just adding some more monuments for restricted access for protesting similar to the existing momuments today.
This rule would create restricted areas at the World War II Memorial, the Korean War
Veterans Memorial, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Demonstrations and special
events would be prohibited in these restricted areas, except for official commemorative
ceremonies.

Just like the other monuments have restricted area's for protesters.
this is nothing new and this is upheld via SCOTUS decision.

If you read The Hill, they say nothing about prohibiting protesting on the National Mall. Nobody wants to take away first amendment rights. That's fear mongering.

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-e...energy-epa-chief-acknowledges-racist-facebook

The National Park Service's (NPS) proposal, for which public comments are due by Monday, would close much of the sidewalk north of the White House to protests, limit the ability for groups to have spontaneous protests without permits in that area and on the National Mall and open the door to potentially charging some demonstrating groups fees and costs for their events.

 

[JasperL]

I agree with President Trump (according to the info in the OP) that certain areas of our capital should be off limits to demonstrators.

For example, I feel it was totally inappropriate for those demonstrators to mob the steps of the Supreme Court.

Why is that? It's a public building, public space, and protesting decisions or actions by the SC totally legitimate in a free society. Should they have to do a mile away so as not to disturb the justices and employees as they go to and fro?

 

[upsideguy]

Yeah, Trump, the big, authoritarian meanie who is telling people to get off his lawn because he doesn't like what they have to say. Could Bloomberg be anymore biased and dishonest? The titled article throws off the entire reason the proposals are being suggested in the first place.

Read.

Start trying to be President for ALL the people rather than powering your way through with often deliberately unpopular choices just to placate your small minority base and magically the protests will go down.

It is amazing to me just how much our conservative friends seem to despise democracy.

 

[Chomsky]

MLK may have had a dream......but our current WH is a nightmare.

Well said!

 

[Chomsky]

Read your sentence again. It said the proposed regulation "could" curtail, including the National Mall... It didn't say it would.

And we don't want things that could curtail free speech. What's thew issue?

 

[Chomsky]

You have to consider the source as well bloomberg is a liberal hack.
So far it seems the bloomberg is full of it.

the NPS is looking to charge a fee for permitting. This would help cover the cost of processing and
the cleanup after these protesters leave.

from my reading they are just adding some more monuments for restricted access for protesting similar to the existing momuments today.
This rule would create restricted areas at the World War II Memorial, the Korean War
Veterans Memorial, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Demonstrations and special
events would be prohibited in these restricted areas, except for official commemorative
ceremonies.

Just like the other monuments have restricted area's for protesters.
this is nothing new and this is upheld via SCOTUS decision.

To the bolded:

Yes. Exactly. They are making it harder to exercise one's right. This is not what we want. Let the fees be funded out of the federal budget. We should be encouraging free speech and democratic participation. For democracy to succeed, freedom of speech needs to flourish.

 

[ludin]

To the bolded:

Yes. Exactly. They are making it harder to exercise one's right. This is not what we want. Let the fees be funded out of the federal budget. We should be encouraging free speech and democratic participation. For democracy to succeed, freedom of speech needs to flourish.

the nationa park service is already funded by the federal government.
these are added costs outside of their normal budgeting.

if you want to protest why should you not be responsible for cleaning up the mess?