The National Park Service denied the permit request of a biker organization - “2 Million Bikers to DC” - to ride through Washington D.C. on September 11, in honor of “those who were killed” during the 2001 terrorist attacks.
TheBlaze spoke to an NPS spokeswoman yesterday, who confirmed the permit had been denied:
Carol Johnson, spokeswoman for the NPS, cited logistical concerns for denying the permit.
“They (the NPS) looked at it (the permit application) and decided it would cause a severe service disruption of traffic both inside and outside the area around the mall,” said Johnson, who then jokingly added “[I] wish the bikers would leave me alone.”
“The size of the event, we can’t manage,” Johnson said. “We couldn’t provide adequate park police services and park police escorts and it would require a lot of road closures so it was denied.”
Interestingly, the NPS granted a permit to a Muslim organization to hold a “Million American March” (previously known as the Million Muslim March) on the National Mall on September 11, but the biker group was denied.
The group has not let the lack of permit deter them. “The group said on its Facebook page that it plans to converge on D.C. despite the permit that is not showing up. ‘We don't need a stinking permit.’ I love that quote,” Glenn said on radio this morning. “‘We have our constitutional rights and we shall ride.’ That's from Belinda Bee, the event organizer.”
Organizers are now saying thousands of bikers are expected to participate in the ride through D.C. on September 11.
“The bikers shall ride in the nation's capital. Why,” Glenn asked. “Why not? They’re on public roads that they didn't build.”