October 15, 2018 Mr. Brian Joyner Chief of Staff, National Mall and Memorial Parks National Park Service 900 Ohio Drive SW Washington, DC 20024 Dear Mr. Joyner: We write to express our deep concern over proposed rulemaking RIN 1024-AE45, issued August 7, 2018, which would revise the National Park Service’s protest permitting process regarding demonstrations at the National Mall, Memorial Parks, and President’s Park. This proposal would infringe on Americans’ rights to free speech and assembly. Forcing Americans to pay to lawfully assemble at our most iconic and politically significant sites places a financial barrier that precludes equal opportunity and access, dissuading and prohibiting Americans from demonstrating. The ability to afford fees for permits must not be a factor in who gets the opportunity to protest on these public lands. Introducing fees for First Amendment demonstrations would represent an overwhelming departure from American values. We strongly urge you to revise the proposed rule and maintain access to vibrant, participatory democracy for all Americans regardless of socioeconomic status or support from wealthy donors. Protesting is a cornerstone of American democracy. The First Amendment of the Constitution guarantees “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech … or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Over centuries, Americans have come together from near and far and lifted their voices, from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech advancing the civil rights movement to the 2017 Women’s March, the largest demonstration in American history. Americans have cried out signifying ardent diversity of thought on a wide variety of issues spanning from war and peace to the economy, the environment, civil rights, human rights, and more. There is a fundamental personal dignity in protest—the insistence that one’s voice matters. Protesting is also a patriotic act, as Americans show up to help steer the path of our country. As we work to fulfill the promise of this country, we must never restrict access to the public lands surrounding its halls of power. Thank you for your commitment to preserving our cultural history and natural resources. As you work to manage an increase in requests for permits and maintain your commitment to preserving visitor experience, resource protection, and public safety, we trust you will reconsider this proposal and ensure that the right of all Americans to express their beliefs in our nation’s capital will be safeguarded. Sincerely, American Hiking Society American Library Association American Public Health Association Americans for Financial Reform Anti-Defamation League Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education Professionals Association of Research Libraries Athlete Ally The Avarna Group Bend the Arc Bold Alliance Brown Environmentalist Brown People Camping Californians for Western Wilderness Campaign for Accountability Catharsis on the Mall Chesapeake Climate Action Network Church of Scientology National Affairs Office Citizen's Climate Lobby Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) Common Cause Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) CREDO Defend Our Future Defending Rights & Dissent Democracy for America Diverse Environmental Leaders Dogwood Alliance Earth Ethics Earthjustice Earthwise Productions Endangered Species Coalition Environmental Defense Fund Friends of the Earth US GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) Government Accountability Project Green Muslims GreenLatinos Hip Hop Caucus Hipcamp Hispanic Access Foundation Hispanic Federation Human Rights Campaign Human Rights Watch Interfaith Power & Light Jews United for Justice Lambda Legal Latino Outdoors League of Conservation Voters League of Women Voters of the United States MoveOn NAACP NARAL Pro-Choice America National Black Justice Coalition National Center for Lesbian Rights National Coalition Against Censorship National Council of Jewish Women National Employment Law Project National Equality Action Team (NEAT) National Federation of the Blind National Juvenile Justice Network National LGBTQ Task Force National Resources Defense Council National Women's Law Center New Mexico Voices for Children Next 100 Coalition Oceana Oil Change International Outdoor Muslims Patagonia People For the American Way Foundation Planned Parenthood Federation of America Praxis Project Project On Government Oversight Public Citizen SAGE SEIU Services, Immigrant Rights & Education Network (SIREN) Sierra Club Southern Poverty Law Center Transforming Youth Outdoors Veterans For Peace The Wilderness Society Win Without War Women's March