Date: September 9, 2017
As some of America’s foremost civic spaces, national parks in D.C. have a long history of providing areas for people to exercise their First Amendment rights of free speech and assembly.
For several days, the National Park Service has been communicating with organizers of the March to Confront White Supremacy to explain permit requirements and available locations. For Farragut Square, as long as the number of people is 25 or fewer, the group is welcome to stay; however, a permit is required to erect a tent. The United States Park Police removed the tents on Saturday morning to bring the group into compliance.
Other groups have permits to use Farragut Square so we have offered the March to Confront White Supremacy use of nearby locations. The group submitted a permit application on Friday, September 8, and a meeting to discuss their permit application is scheduled for Monday morning.
When there is a conflict of time and location for events, precedence is established by the order in which the permit application was received, and numerous applications are already on file for events in Farragut Square this month. When a requested site is unavailable, the National Park Service works with applicants to find a suitable alternate location in order that all may exercise their guaranteed rights of free speech and assembly.
