Never say never these days, but the chances seem vanishingly slim that a permitted pro-Trump rally next week will lead to anything like what happened on January 6: The only apparent gathering for Trump fans that has sought a permit from the National Park Service is from a group called “Let America Hear Us, Roar for Trump,” which appears to be organized by Mark “Ski” Bischof, who has taken part in Rolling Thunder before. That group says it plans to arrive next Monday and rally through Wednesday; its application says its purpose is to provide “A place to gather, so like minded people can gather to participate the Inauguration of our President.”
Which as of noon next Wednesday will be Joe Biden so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
Several other groups either hold or have applied for permits, according to NPS documents: Groups associated with Hare Krishna and Falun Gong hold permits for ongoing events near the Natural History Museum and Washington Monument, respectively, and a group called DC Action Lab has applied for a permit for a demonstration that will include a “video in support of impeachment,” an application says. The ANSWER Coalition also has an application processing for a demonstration that demands “urgent action to save the environment end war & militarism, prioritize money to meet peoples needs.”
Pretty much everything will be closed around downtown DC during inauguration, including the National Mall. The Park Service says First Amendment activities (i.e., demonstrations) will be permitted at John Marshall Park and at the Navy Memorial, but those are subject to screenings and other restrictions. A bulletin from multiple federal agencies says events around inauguration may provide “continued opportunities for violence.”
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.
