America’s veterans were fed up with the president’s vindictive closing of the war memorials. They rallied at the World War II memorial around 9am on October 13. In a statement posted on Facebook by the group organizing the event, it stated that
To shut down the memorials to our Veterans is the greatest dishonor to Americans who have gallantly served on the field of battle and those that have laid down their lives in the ultimate sacrifice for their fellow man for the cause of freedom. It is also of the highest dishonor to those who currently serve, who are under enemy fire every day in battlefields abroad and those military spouses and their children that are left behind. As military brats, we all faced the possibility of one or both of our parents not coming home as a result of military action. It was a huge burden to carry most of our lives.
It is our official position that the purpose of this march and the accompanying rallies is focused on the re-opening of the Veterans memorials and keeping them open. While we understand that a Constitutional republic requires the equilibrium of checks and balances to maintain the democratic process, the memorials, monuments and parks built in honor of Veterans should NEVER be closed, blocked or restricted from use. We take the official position that no government office holder shall have ability to abridge the freedom of access to these hallowed grounds.
Senators Mike Lee and Ted Cruz spoke at the event, as did former Governor Sarah Palin. Their message: the memorials “belong to the people.” Bryan Preston posted some great photos from the event as well.
Benghazi is not forgotten here.
The truckers, who’ve been protesting by trying to clog the beltway, arrived to show their support.
Yet, the veterans didn’t stop there. They took to the Lincoln Memorial, and then declared that the shutdown was coming to the White House. As a result, they grabbed the barricades and proceeded to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue – and were greeted by the Secret Service. Some units were posted on the lawn, while two observed the protestors from the rooftop; undoubtedly being able to hear everything we said. A few protestors tried to throw barricades over the fence, but were stopped by uniformed Secret Service officers.
It was a peaceful protest – and a uniformed Secret Service officer said that we could stay there all day if we were peaceful. This was after he stopped a few men from throwing a barricade over the fence. Yet, that wasn’t the case. Admittedly, things has calmed down, and I decided to make the journey back to Virginia when I heard that DC riot police removed the protestors from the White House.
Javier Manjarres, a Florida-based blogger and owner of Shark Tank, reported that his DC correspondent ‘Special K’ said:
[T]hat riot police have physically engaged a crowd of Americans , who were peacefully protesting in front of the White House. Special K,who was himself grabbed, lifted in the air, and moved aside by uniformed police, in order to make room for the riot police to make their way to the front of the protest, witness several acts of violence against protesters. Police are now re-using barricades protesters brought and dumped off in front of the White House’s outer perimeter fence.
Additionally, Shark Tank added that a protestor’s American flag was confiscated.
Yet, was all of this police action necessary?
As Katherine Cresto aptly noted on Twitter:
Similarly, these people pictured here are obviously up to no good – said by no one ever.
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