Overview

• U.S. Park Police removed remaining signs and placards in Lafayette Square on Thursday evening after closing the park for the operation.
• The takedown followed a Sept. 5 Oval Office exchange where a Real America’s Voice correspondent highlighted a “blue tent,” prompting President Trump to instruct staff to remove the display.
• A Sept. 12 National Park Service letter called the vigil an unpermitted demonstration and cited safety and aesthetic violations, including concerns related to the tarp and property limits.
• Activists said they got little notice and were told items would be deemed abandoned, describing the action as a violation of their First Amendment rights.
• Earlier steps included removal of the blue tarp on Sept. 7 and confiscation of large wooden A-frames days later; the vigil began in 1981 and had continued without interruption.