An encampment protesting President Donald Trump outside of Union Station was removed Friday morning. However, the group that spearheaded the site says it will continue to protest Trump while it fights the revoking of its permit.
The encampment, put together , had been up since May 19, organizer Randy Kindle told 海角精品黑料.
The organization鈥檚 mission states it fights the 鈥渞ise of fascism in the United States鈥� through the 鈥渘onviolent occupation鈥� of Columbus Circle, with the goal leading to the 鈥渋mpeachment and removal鈥� of Trump.
However, on Friday, Kindle received an early morning call from one of the organization鈥檚 members stating that they were being 鈥渄ecamped.鈥� By the time he arrived, the organization鈥檚 possessions were removed, with members of the U.S. Park Police, National Park Service and U.S. Marshalls surrounding the area.
鈥淭hey were standing around with lots of guns and taking our stuff from us and putting them in flatbed trucks and not telling us anything about why they were doing it,鈥� Kindle said.
Members of FLARE at the encampment received a letter from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service and Park Police. Obtained by 海角精品黑料, the letter claimed the group鈥檚 permit was revoked because its demonstration 鈥減resents a clear and present danger to the good order鈥� and violates multiple conditions.
One of the conditions said the group 鈥減ersonally assaulted鈥� a U.S. Park Police officer.
Kindle denies the assault claim and said no formal notice was issued before the encampment鈥檚 removal. FLARE intends to appeal the permit revocation.
鈥淭here’s been no reports of violence here,鈥� Kindle said. 鈥淲e have not had one protester arrested at any of our events. No one has ever been arrested here. No one’s ever been arrested from our organization.鈥�
In a statement, a Department of Interior spokesperson said the encampment 鈥渧iolated the terms of their permit. The permit was revoked, and the event was removed.鈥� There was no reference to the letter in the statement.
FLARE members and other demonstration groups rallied together Friday afternoon to protest the decision at the scene of where the campsite once stood. Over 80 people arrived holding anti-Trump signs while playing music.
Nadine Seiler traveled from Waldorf, Maryland, to learn that her speaker and other belongings inside the encampment were taken with no information on how to retrieve them. She said the experience made her feel like her rights were being trampled on, and wished Americans would be fighting for their rights alongside groups like FLARE.
鈥淲e are right now like a frog in boiling water, we don’t realize that we are dying,鈥� Seiler said. 鈥淒emocracy is dying, and people don’t seem to be taking it seriously enough.鈥�
Walker Cook had grown accustomed to seeing FLARE’s tent as he walked to work in the mornings. The decision to take it down attacks one鈥檚 free speech, he said, motivating him to join the protest alongside the other demonstrators.
鈥淚’m here protesting for the right to protest for our freedom of speech, because if we don’t use it, we could lose it,鈥� Cook said.
The removal of the encampment 鈥済alvanized鈥� FLARE members to call for Trump鈥檚 impeachment more, especially once Congress returns to work following the shutdown, Kindle said.
He added that FLARE will continue coming back to Columbus Circle and demonstrating in a non-violent action, until being asked to leave in a legal fashion.
鈥淚t was unfortunate, but now we know that we’re getting under the skin, and that’s exactly what we want,鈥� he said.
海角精品黑料 reached out to U.S. Park Police for comment.
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