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The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
National Park Service alters course, opening up Dupont Circle for Pride events
The National Park Service (NPS) on Saturday backpedaled again on closing the notorious Dupont Circle Park for this weekend's WorldPride events, removing the barricades that were put up less than a day before. NPS and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the decision in a joint statement on Saturday. 'We are pleased that the Mayor's office and the National Park Service could work together overnight on a solution that protects the historic features of this park while also ensuring the safety of all who enjoy it,' the statement reads. 'We want this weekend to be a safe and fun celebration in our nation's capital – and one that includes one of the best parks and community spaces in our city, Dupont Circle,' they wrote. 'We look forward to working together on future initiatives that keep DC safe and beautiful.' The news comes a day after NPS said in an order that it would temporarily close the park that is central to Washington's notorious LGBTQ neighborhood, despite local officials suggesting it would stay open. At the request of the U.S. Park Police (USPP), an anti-scale fence was installed around the park's perimeter and was expected to remain in place until Sunday evening. Despite the reversal, a barrier will remain around the fountain at the center of the park, an official told The Washington Post. USPP Maj. Frank Hilsher told NPS officials earlier this week that the initial request was based on 'several previous years of assaultive, destructive and disorderly behavior' in the area and blocking off the park would 'deter potential violence, reduce the risk of destructive acts and decrease the need for extensive law enforcement presences.' The turmoil comes as Washington hosts WorldPride for the first time. As the nation's capital celebrates its 50th year of hosting Pride events, the Capital Pride parade is set to kick off around 2 p.m. on Saturday. The last time WorldPride was hosted in the U.S. was in 2019 when New York City welcomed approximately 5 million people.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
DC park will close after all for WorldPride weekend
The National Park Service said Friday it would temporarily close the park at the center of Washington's historic LGBTQ neighborhood ahead of the city's annual Pride weekend, moving forward with plans that local officials believed had been scrapped. The temporary closure of Dupont Circle Park came at the request of the U.S. Park Police (USPP), the Park Service said in an order uploaded Friday to its website approving the installation of anti-scale fencing around the park's perimeter through 6 p.m. EDT Sunday. 'Less restrictive measures will not suffice due to the security-based assessment of the USPP that this park area needs to be kept clear,' the Park Service said. In a letter dated June 4, Park Police Maj. Frank Hilsher wrote to Kevin Griess, superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks, that the agency's closure request 'is based solely on several previous years of assaultive, destructive and disorderly behavior exhibited in Dupont Circle during the DC Pride weekend.' 'The USPP maintains that a physical barrier effecting a full closure of Dupont Circle is necessary,' Hilsher wrote, to 'secure the park, deter potential violence, reduce the risk of destructive acts and decrease the need for extensive law enforcement presences.' An earlier letter sent in April to Park Police Chief Jessica M.E. Taylor from Pamela A. Smith, chief of Washington's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), recommended that tall no-climb fences be temporarily installed around the park. 'Over the years, Dupont Circle Park has been a popular location for Pride attendees to congregate, despite not being a sanctioned Pride event,' Smith wrote in the letter. 'In the past five years, the Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Park Police have taken proactive steps, including increased police presence and enhanced lighting around the park.' 'However, significant challenges persisted, including unpermitted large gathering with sound equipment, illegal vending and grilling, alcohol use, multiple physical altercation, and vandalism of the historic fountain and statue,' she added. Smith withdrew the MPD's request to temporarily close the park earlier this week 'after hearing from community leaders and residents,' she wrote in a June 3 letter to Taylor. In the same letter, Smith pointed to specific disruptions that influenced her initial request, including a 2019 arrest in Dupont Circle Park after parkgoers heard gunshots and vandalism during Pride weekend in 2023 that resulted in roughly $175,000 in damage to the park's more than 100-year-old fountain. The park's closure is another obstacle for those in charge of WorldPride, an international LGBTQ Pride celebration taking place this year in Washington. The Capital Pride Alliance, the organizers of WorldPride D.C., have hit several snags related to Trump administration policies that disproportionately affect LGBTQ people. DC hosts WorldPride: What to know about weekend bash In April, the group issued a travel advisory for transgender visitors from abroad, citing President Trump's executive order recognizing only two sexes, male and female, and a new State Department policy barring trans, nonbinary and intersex Americans from updating the sex designations on their passports. The same month, the Capital Pride Alliance announced it was moving WorldPride events from the Kennedy Center to 'ensure our entire LGBTQ+ community will be welcome' following Trump's takeover of the cultural institution in February. In posts on Truth Social, Trump said drag performances at the Kennedy Center 'will stop' under his leadership and called drag, an art form that is deeply rooted in LGBTQ culture and history, 'anti-American propaganda.' The White House has also declined to issue a proclamation for Pride Month. In an emailed statement, the Capital Pride Alliance said it 'is frustrated and disappointed in the National Park Service's decision – again – to close Dupont Circle during the culmination of WorldPride this weekend.' 'This beloved landmark is central to the community that WorldPride intends to celebrate and honor. It's much more than a park, for generations it's been a gathering place for DC's LGBTQ+ community, hosting first amendment assemblies and memorial services for those we lost to the AIDS epidemic and following tragic events like the Pulse nightclub shooting,' the group said. 'This sudden move was made overnight without consultation with the Capital Pride Alliance or other local officials.' No official WorldPride activities were planned in Dupont Circle Park, the Capital Pride Alliance said, 'thus no events will be impacted.' D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2), representing the Dupont Circle neighborhood, said she is 'extremely disappointed and frustrated' that the park will not remain open for Pride weekend. 'This closure is disheartening to me and so many in our community who wanted to celebrate World Pride at this iconic symbol of our city's historic LGBTQ+ community,' Pinto wrote Friday in a post on the social platform X. 'I wish I had better news to share.' 'World Pride will continue this weekend and it will be a time of celebration and commitment to uplift our LGBTQ+ neighbors,' she added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
DC park will close after all for WorldPride weekend
The National Park Service said Friday it would temporarily close the park at the center of Washington's historic LGBTQ neighborhood ahead of the city's annual Pride weekend, moving forward with plans that local officials believed had been scrapped. The temporary closure of DuPont Circle Park came at the request of the U.S. Park Police (USPP), the Park Service said in an order uploaded Friday to its website approving the installation of anti-scale fencing around the park's perimeter through 6 p.m. Sunday. 'Less restrictive measures will not suffice due to the security-based assessment of the USPP that this park area needs to be kept clear,' the Park Service said. In a letter dated June 4, Major Frank Hilsher wrote to Kevin Griess, superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks, that the USPP's closure request 'is based solely on several previous years of assaultive, destructive and disorderly behavior exhibited in Dupont Circle during the DC Pride weekend.' 'The USPP maintains that a physical barrier effecting a full closure of Dupont Circle is necessary,' Hilsher wrote, to 'secure the park, deter potential violence, reduce the risk of destructive acts and decrease the need for extensive law enforcement presences.' An earlier letter sent in April to USPP Chief Jessica M.E. Taylor from Pamela A. Smith, chief of Washington's Metropolitan Police Department, recommended that tall no-climb fences be temporarily installed around the park. 'Over the years, DuPont Circle Park has been a popular location for Pride attendees to congregate, despite not being a sanctioned Pride event,' Smith wrote in the letter. 'In the past five years, the Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Park Police have taken proactive steps, including increased police presence and enhanced lighting around the park.' 'However, significant challenges persisted, including unpermitted large gathering with sound equipment, illegal vending and grilling, alcohol use, multiple physical altercation, and vandalism of the historic fountain and statue,' she added. Smith withdrew MPD's request to temporarily close the park earlier this week 'after hearing from community leaders and residents,' she wrote in a June 3 letter to Taylor. In the same letter, Smith pointed to specific disruptions that influenced her initial request, including a 2019 arrest in DuPont Circle Park after parkgoers heard gunshots and vandalism during Pride weekend in 2023 that resulted in roughly $175,000 in damage to the park's more than 100-year-old fountain. The park's closure is another obstacle for those in charge of WorldPride, an international LGBTQ Pride celebration taking place this year in Washington. The Capital Pride Alliance, the organizers of WorldPride DC, have hit several snags related to Trump administration policies that disproportionately affect LGBTQ people. In April, the group issued a travel advisory for transgender visitors from abroad, citing President Trump's executive order recognizing only two sexes, male and female, and a new State Department policy barring trans, nonbinary and intersex Americans from updating the sex designations on their passports. The same month, the Capital Pride Alliance announced it was moving WorldPride events from the Kennedy Center to 'ensure our entire LGBTQ+ community will be welcome' following Trump's takeover of the cultural institution in February. In posts on Truth Social, Trump said drag performances at the Kennedy Center 'will stop' under his leadership and called drag, an art form that is deeply rooted in LGBTQ culture and history, 'anti-American propaganda.' The White House has also declined to issue a proclamation for Pride month. In an emailed statement, the Capital Pride Alliance said it 'is frustrated and disappointed in the National Park Service's decision – again – to close Dupont Circle during the culmination of WorldPride this weekend.' 'This beloved landmark is central to the community that WorldPride intends to celebrate and honor. It's much more than a park, for generations it's been a gathering place for DC's LGBTQ+ community, hosting first amendment assemblies and memorial services for those we lost to the AIDS epidemic and following tragic events like the Pulse nightclub shooting,' the group said. 'This sudden move was made overnight without consultation with the Capital Pride Alliance or other local officials.' No official WorldPride activities were planned in DuPont Circle Park, the Capital Pride Alliance said, 'thus no events will be impacted.' D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2), representing the DuPont Circle neighborhood, said she is 'extremely disappointed and frustrated' that the park will not remain open for Pride weekend. 'This closure is disheartening to me and so many in our community who wanted to celebrate World Pride at this iconic symbol of our city's historic LGBTQ+ community,' Pinto wrote Friday in a post on the social platform X. '. I wish I had better news to share.' 'World Pride will continue this weekend and it will be a time of celebration and commitment to uplift our LGBTQ+ neighbors,' she added.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Dupont Circle Park will officially close for DC's WorldPride weekend
WASHINGTON () — After days of uncertainty and unanswered questions, the National Park Service has officially announced that Dupont Circle Park will close for WorldPride weekend. This announcement came after the United States Park Police (USPP) requested the closure over safety concerns. Park police said closing the circle was necessary for the maintenance of public health and safety and protection of natural and cultural resources in the park. Park police added the temporary closure throughout the weekend will 'secure the park, deter potential violence, reduce the risk of destructive acts and decrease the need for extensive law enforcement presences.' PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Uncertainty lingers over Dupont Circle's status ahead of WorldPride Parade The decision stemmed from previous Pride weekends, when D.C. police said groups of people damaged property, looted and participated in underage drinking. The historic fountain at the center of the circle was reportedly damaged, and there were reports of gunfire. Significant road closures for WorldPride Parade, Block Party In a letter to park police on April 22, D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith wrote, 'Every year, the situation has strained our personnel as the large crowds continued to linger around the park and spill into the nearby roadway causing further disturbances.' Days later, D.C. police rescinded their request to install anti-scale fencing around the perimeter of Dupont Circle after pushback from the community. However, the final decision was up to the United States Park Police. Around 5 a.m. on Friday, officers surrounded Dupont Circle with police tape, and fencing began going up around the park. USPP said the park will remain closed through Sunday, June 8, around 6 p.m. Richard Lewis, who lived in the community for nearly two decades, said he is truly disappointed. 'Very disappointed in the agencies that were involved in this lack of decision making, the back and forth. The public outcry apparently doesn't seem to matter. There are ways of doing and protecting the property without closing it,' said Lewis. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Road closures taking place for Police Week 2025 in DC
WASHINGTON () — Various events happening around D.C. for Police Week 2025 will be impacting traffic. A bunch of National Police Week 2025 events are happening around the District until Saturday, causing road closures. 'We need the funding to be able to do the work': DC early childcare providers, advocates push for fully funded pay equity for teachers The following street will be posted as Emergency No Parking from Sunday, May 11 to Friday, May 16 from 12:01 a.m. until 11:59 p.m.: F Street between 4th Street and 5th Street, NW The following street will be posted as Emergency No Parking from Sunday, May 11 to Friday, May 16 from 12:01 a.m. until 23:59 E Street between 4th Street and 5th Street, NW The following street will be posted as Emergency No Parking from Monday, May 12 at 12:01 a.m. until 12:59 p.m.: 400 block of F Street, NW 400 block of G Street, NW The following streets will be posted as Emergency No Parking from Monday, May 12 at 12:01 a.m. until Thursday, May 15 until 11:59 p.m.: 4th Street, NW between Pennsylvania Avenue, NW and Independence Avenue, SW 3rd Street, NW between Constitution Avenue, NW and Independence Avenue, SW 7th Street, NW between Constitution Avenue, NW and Independence Avenue, SW Maryland Avenue between 3rd Street and Independence Avenue, SW Potomac Avenue, SE from South Capitol Street, SE to 1st Street, SE 1st Street, SE from Potomac Avenue, SE to N Place, SE The following streets will be posted as Emergency No Parking on Tuesday, May 13 from 12:01 a.m. until 11:59 p.m.: Madison Drive from 3rd Street, NW to 7th Street, NW Jefferson Drive from 3rd Street, NW to 7th Street, SW The following streets will be posted as Emergency No Parking on Tuesday, May 13 from 12:01 a.m. until 11:59 p.m.: Madison Drive from 7th Street, NW to 14th Street, NW Jefferson Drive from 7th Street, NW to 14th Street, SW The following street will be closed to vehicle traffic on Sunday, May 11 from approximately 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.: F Street between 4th Street and 5th Street, NW The following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic on Monday, May 12 from approximately 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.: F Street between 4th Street and 5th Street, NW E Street between 4th Street and 5th Street, NW The following streets will be closed by U.S. Park Police (USPP) to vehicle traffic from 6 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.: Madison Drive between 3rd Street and 7th Street, NW Jefferson Drive between 3rd Street and 7th Street, SW The following streets will be closed by USPP to vehicle traffic from noon to 11:59 p.m.: Madison Drive between 7th Street and 14th Street, NW Jefferson Drive between 7th Street and 14th Street, SW The following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic from Monday, May 12, at 3 a.m. until Wednesday, May 14, until 11:59 p.m.: 4th Street, NW between Pennsylvania Avenue, NW and Independence Avenue, SW The following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic on Tuesday, May 13 from approximately 12:01 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.: 7th Street, NW between Constitution Avenue, NW and Independence Avenue, SW The following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic on Tuesday, May 13 from approximately 12:01 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.: 3rd Street, NW between Constitution Avenue, NW and Independence Avenue, SW The following streets will experience intermittent traffic closures on Tuesday, May 13 from approximately 12:01 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.: Constitution Avenue from 3rd Street to 15th Street, NW Independence Avenue from 3rd Street to 15th Street, NW 7th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue to Constitution Avenue, NW 6th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue to Constitution Avenue, NW 3rd Street from Constitution Avenue, NW to Independence Avenue, SW The following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic on Wednesday, May 14 from approximately 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.: F Street between 4th Street and 5th Street, NW E Street between 4th Street and 5th Street, NW The following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic on Thursday, May 15, from approximately 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.: Madison Drive between 3rd Street and 4th Street, NW Jefferson Drive between 3rd Street and 4th Street, SW 3rd Street between Constitution Avenue, NW, and Independence Avenue, SW Pennsylvania Avenue between Constitution Avenue and 3rd Street, NW Maryland Avenue between 3rd Street and Independence Avenue, SW Any cars parked in violation will be ticketed and towed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
