The Backlash to New Rules on Protests in D.C.

From the March on Washington to the March for Our Lives, from the women protesting for suffrage to the women protesting against President Donald Trump, the grounds of the National Mall and the White House have been an important theater for Americans exercising their First Amendment rights in full view of their government.

But a new set of rule changes proposed by the National Park Service has some Americans worried that the use of these historic venues for demonstrations could soon be severely limited. Though the changes make for pretty dry reading—federal regulations are not known for being user-friendly—the perceived threat to free speech has to an online portal set up for input on the changes—nearly all of them in vocal opposition. Ahead of the comment period’s closure on Monday, the site saw a major uptick in responses, with the bulk of comments submitted between Thursday and Friday afternoon.