I’m overwhelmed and will be for a while. However, looking at the jammed streets and hearing Chris Matthews throw out the estimate of a million people in DC along I had a thought about the flap last month over use of the National Mall.
If you remember, after announcing the date for today’s March For Our Lives the students organizing it took the proper step of applying for a permit to hold their event on the National Mall. But some other group seems to have beaten them to the punch so to speak. Turns out some group who refused to be named (and the Park Service wouldn’t release it) applied for a permit just before the students did.
A copy of their permit with the name of the group it was granted to redacted got into the public domain. It listed an event of approximately two dozen people, a couple of tables and a bicycle or two as I recall. For THAT they got control over the whole freaking National Mall today. And the Park Service was quite clear on a couple of points — “first come first served so sorry kids — take it somewhere else” and an absolute refusal to say just who the permit they DID grant was granted to. Or talk with that very small planned event about moving their location, or date of their production/event, or coordinating/facilitating a negotiation to share the Mall.
Hmmmmmm
Given the abuses of this administration, and the abuses visited upon the Park Service over comparison shots of Inauguration Crowds by the flaming orange gasbag I don’t believe I’m way out there in CT land to wonder if a rat-fuck move was made not only to deny the National Mall to the March For Our Lives — or make damned sure the Park Service didn’t go working out any deals/compromises to let the students have the Mall today.
Well, today’s the day. The students adapted and (probably to Herr TrumpHumpenfurhrer’s fury) they got the next closest space.
I kept hoping at some point the talking heads would send a camera operator over to the Mall to see that other “event.” I stayed with MSNBC so maybe someone else did.
However, the fact is that it’s today and both events have been held. It is the National Mall which means it’s OUR Mall and we by grab have a right to know just who it was who got to use it instead of the March For Our Lives!