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By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Only a few protests have been allowed for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden next week in Washington, DC, as officials implement unprecedented security measures amid warnings of possible attacks by groups involved in January 6. –Trump site of the Capitol. Only four significant First Amendment protest requests for the National Mall and nearby parks were submitted to the National Park Service by next week, according to the agency. At least two of these have been canceled, event organizers told Reuters. Some requests for planned events were submitted more than a year ago, before the coronavirus pandemic shutdowns, social distancing and mask requirements began. In 2017, the NPS granted https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-protests/protests-will-aim-to-disrupt-trump-inauguration-organizers-idUSKBN14W2YS permits to 27 protest groups, some of which sought to disrupt the inauguration of President Donald Trump. The NPS requires a permit for demonstrations of more than 25 people at most park locations within its jurisdiction. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser on Saturday applied for https://mayor.dc.gov/release/mayor-bowser%E2%80%99s-letter-us-department-homeland-security-acting-secretary-chad-wolf – Regarding federal officials canceling Park Service public assembly permits issued through Jan. 24, as officials expand security measures in Washington, including road closures and 20,000 National Guards. This year’s permits include two events a year ago, in anticipation of a second Trump inauguration. Representatives for the DC Action Lab and Answer Coalition said they were no longer planning events given Biden’s victory. A pro-Trump group, “Let America Hear Us, Roar For Trump,” also applied for a motorcycle rally permit a year ago at various district parks. The group’s (NASDAQ 🙂 Facebook page refers to a 2017 rally, and organizer Mark “Ski” Bischof could not be reached for comment. Black Pact announces a “March for Repairs” https://www.blackpact.org/events event for January 21, the day after the inauguration, at Black Lives Matter Plaza, the Martin Luther King Jr. and the Lincoln Memorial. . The application expects 5,000 participants. No permits were granted for next week’s marches on the streets of the district where local police have jurisdiction, a DC Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said. Some streets, like Constitution Avenue, where Trump supporters marched to the Capitol on January 6, are under the jurisdiction of the NPS. A spokesman for the agency said a decision had yet to be made on whether to close the National Mall, which runs from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. During the past inaugurations, hundreds of thousands of people have seen the president take the oath of office on large-screen televisions placed in the Mall. Mayor Bowser’s mask order for the pandemic requires outdoor masks when a person is expected comes within six feet of others. Many participants in recent pro-Trump demonstrations have routinely ignored the mandate.
