BRETT ZONGKER,Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — A protest group planning to stage a demonstration about unemployment at President Barack Obama’s inauguration says it’s being forced to scale down plans because it won’t have much space on Washington’s Freedom Plaza.
The ANSWER Coalition said Friday that the Presidential Inaugural Committee is taking over the plaza where protests have been held. Protesters will have a 10-yard-wide strip of sidewalk below the plaza.
ANSWER had expected to have bleachers with thousands of demonstrators. National Coordinator Brian Becker says there’s a long history of reserving Freedom Plaza as a place for dissent.
In 2009, the group shared the space with inauguration organizers.
A National Park Service spokeswoman says the protest group applied for the space first but that the inaugural committee has preference under regulations that took effect in 2008.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
Wouldn’t want to rain on his parade.
he may be “your President” but he just snubbed you
He stepped on the first amendment making it illegal to protest near him. Limiting the protesters is only a violation of the first amendment right of “public assembly.”
“A National Park Service spokeswoman says the protest group applied for the space first but that the inaugural committee has preference under regulations that took effect in 2008.” – His very first year. How convenient for him to have a law in place allowing his people to overrule the citizens of the country, “legally”, while no media outlet mentions the right to public assembly. I wonder who owns WGGB…
Ever try to host an event where a group of people are acting like idiots? I have. I don’t blame anyone for following regulations that are in place to oust the disruptive group from the celebration. All these people can go protest somewhere outside the event like civilized adults. It is not your given right to interrupt funerals, celebrations and public speaking functions as has been interpreted by every American with an opinion. There is no suppression of free speech here, only a want to not have “undesirables” at an event. Another way to look at it: would you want a group of people who flunked out of your kids school and are now bitter about it, showing up at your kids graduation to raise a stink? Would you give them a stage to do so on? nah. Nothing to see here folks.
I just find it funny how the protesting company applied to locate the park first, and then the President’s inauguration supersedes that permit, according to that 2008 law…just amusing how it went into effect the same year that he went into office
Yeah, that is peculiar Crystal. Probably just a preemptive measure as this guy (his staff) knew he would be the most protested president ever when he took office. Lots of biggots in this country. It was probably easy to foresee the need for such rules in this park when people saw the overwhelming support and turnout he had at all his events and the overwhelming amount of protesters as well. Letting everyone in would just be a recipe for disaster. I’ll tell ya what, I hear so many people saying “Nobama” and other stupid ****…in person, I would smash a banana cream pie in their faces. If your going to protest, and want to be taken seriously, do it with facts and act like an adult. Obama’s most hardcore protesters are not only the loudest, but are a lowly, uneducated and disruptive bunch for the most part….and I say that not as a particular fan of Obama. hard to blame them for that preemptive action.
Seth, your in dreamland baby.
^ Care to elaborate?
hmmmm…?
Your asleep dreaming…. You have no control over your thoughts….. Obama took control of those obviously
Is this a reply to me? That would be laughable. Your “thoughts” seem to be dominated by arbitrary news topics, as evident by your posts about your “freederms” on your facebook page. Nobody is out to get ya bud, it’s ok.