A December 12 rally for fans of President Trump planned to take place in DC two days before the Electoral College casts votes in the 2020 election will likely take place at the Lincoln Memorial and not at Freedom Plaza, a spokesperson for the National Park Service says. Trump lost the election but continues to claim falsely that he has won; he has not managed to present any evidence of the fraud he claims occurred in a winning court case, and many of his supporters refuse to accept that Joe Biden is the President-elect.
The organizers of this event are the same as the ones who got a permit for a rally last month at Freedom Plaza: a group called Women for America First. That event was heavily promoted by far-right groups including the Proud Boys, militia groups, and conspiracy theorists and spawned violent clashes between attendees and counterprotesters.
Trump drove by the November rally on his way to play golf, and his press secretary falsely claimed more than a million people attended the event. Some of the MAGA marchers tore down artwork at Black Lives Matter Plaza. There’s an effort underway to protect the memorial wall that’s developed there.
The Park Service typically approves event applications on the week they’re planned. Women for America First initially filed for another permit at Freedom Plaza, but another group had already applied for that spot, NPS spokesperson Mike Litterst says, so the department worked with them to find another location.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
