​Trump administration backs down, withdraws “pay to protest” rules

In response to more than 140,000 comments received from the public and stakeholders, the National Park Service (NPS) on Monday announced it was “withdrawing its August 2018 proposal to revise the First Amendment and Special Use Permit regulations for the National Mall, President’s Park and other national parks in the Washington, D.C. area.” When the “pay to protest” rules were first proposed, Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, an attorney with the Partnership for Civil Justice, alerted DC area organizations involved in organizing protests and a coalition – including unions -- came together to oppose the Trump administration’s anti-protest proposals. “This is an extraordinary victory for the people of the United States,” Verheyden-Hilliard told The Washington Post. “And it says, without question, to this administration that the people of the U.S. will not be silent. They will not accept any effort to shut down their ability to speak out and to stand up for what they believe in.”

​See also: “Pay to protest” rules spark outpouring of opposition 10/17/2018
photo: at the January 21, 2017 Women's March; photo by Chris Garlock

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