The National Park Service allows immigration rally on 'closed' National Mall: Closed to Vets

Park Service allows immigration rally on 'closed' National Mall

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CNN Washington Bureau

(CNN) - Despite the closure of the National Mall and monuments during the partial government shutdown, immigration advocates are holding a rally and concert. And some conservatives are crying foul.

The protestors, who are holding a march in favor of comprehensive immigration reform Tuesday, which is stalled in a stalemated Congress, are allowed to rally on the closed mall under their First Amendment rights, the National Park Service told CNN.

"Under the same First Amendment rights that are allowing Honor Flight veterans and their families to visit the veterans memorials on the National Mall, other groups will be granted access to the park for First amendement activities," spokesman Michael Litterst said.

Conservative groups have voiced outrage that the rally is allowed to take place. They said there is a double standard as veterans were locked out of the World War II Memorial last week after the government shutdown.

"[T]he Democratic Administration looks immensely foolish and ham-handed in this one," Roy Beck, head of NumbersUSA, an anti-immigrant organization, said in a statement.

Republican members of Congress aided the veterans and removed the barriers to allow the veterans to enter.

The National Park Service has furloughed more than 20,000 employees around the country, including about 300 employees who work on the mall. The agency, however, says the U.S. Park Police, which is responsible for policing the event, are not affected by the shutdown and are working "at full capacity...to protect life and property."

The Camino Americano: Concert and March for Immigrant Dignity and Respect is hosted by local and national Latino groups and two major unions - the Service Employees International Union and the AFL-CIO.

Honor Flight vets don't let barricades stop them at World War II Memorial

(Updated) GulfLive, (thanks to Bev Perlson)

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo, Sen. Roger Wicker and other lawmakers from around the country met Mississippi Gulf Coast Honor Flight's World War II veterans this morning and moved the National Park Service barricades to let them into their memorial.

A bagpipe processional led the congressmen and veterans to the Mississippi section of the memorial, where veteran Donald Quinn laid the wreath with the help of Palazzo.

The barricades were erected in light of the government shutdown, which was prompted after lawmakers failed to reach a funding bill agreement last night.

"We cannot deprive our veterans of coming here," Palazzo said of moving the barricades. "This is their day."

Palazzo said 10 other Honor Flight groups from all over the nation will be coming to D.C. this week, so he and the other congressmen "took an informal vote" to move the barricade.

"Sometime it's better to ask forgiveness than to ask permission," he said with a smile.

"This is the best civil disobedience we've seen in Washington in a while," Congressman Bill Huizenga, of Michigan, added.

As the Mississippi veterans left the memorial to board their buses, a Freedom Flight group of veterans for Iowa arrived.

A parks service employee was stationed near the open barricade and told visitors the memorial was closed, but the public continued to pour in. Police officers also arrived on site.

Veteran Robert Meredith of Wiggins said, "I thought I was going to have to stand back when we first got here. I feel extremely lucky. This is really nice, a great honor."

Veteran Lem McCoy agreed.

"I'm thinking what a beautiful tribute this is," he said. McCoy was surprised by his son, Dillard McCoy, who came to D.C. to see the sites with his father.

"That's the real treat," the elder McCoy said.

When the 91 veterans arrived at Reagan National Airport earlier today, they were met with great applause and live jazz music. Like on previous trips, the jetway was also decorated to welcome the veterans.

Several veterans wiped tears from their eyes because of the warm welcome, while others appeared in shock of the crowd that had gathered to cheer and wave their American flags.

"For some reason, I just feel like royalty," said Navy and Air Force veteran Jim Ferencak, of Pascagoula, as he boarded his tour bus.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) showed up to address the “Camino Americano: March for Immigration Reform” — an event that attracted controversy since the Park Service allowed it on the National Mall even though it’s technically closed due to the partial government shutdown.

Almost nothing Pelosi told the much-smaller-than-anticipated crowd Tuesday was a surprise…except for the chant she led that hearkened back to the glory days of President Obama’s 2008 campaign: “Yes…we…can! Yes…we…can!”

So what’s so eye-opening about that?

Pelosi led it in Spanish: “Si..se…puede!” “Si..se…puede!”

Turnout for the event was far below the organizers’ predictions of 100,000 attendees. Barriers were set up to accommodate only 35,000 people, the Daily Caller reports, but less than half the area was occupied.  (The Blaze)