A crowd of protesters joined several members of Congress and local officials this morning (Thursday) to protest plans for a towering arch in Memorial Circle.
Speakers including U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), senators from Oregon and Illinois, a retired U.S. Army colonel and Arlington County Board member J.D. Spain Sr. kicked off a full day of demonstrations planned near the traffic circle between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial.
Officials reiterated arguments about the symbolism of a 250-foot-tall arch looming over the National Cemetery and other landmarks. They view the proposed structure as disrupting historic sightlines and dishonoring military families, while also likely causing severe traffic delays both during and after construction.
“Arlington is a holy place of national unity, preserving the memory of those who lived and died to preserve our country and our Constitution,” Beyer said. “And now we are faced with a great sacrilege.”
The protest, organized by Third Act DMV, followed President Donald Trump’s suggestion last month that, in addition to serving as a tourist destination, the arch would become a “top grade military complex” able to host drones and snipers while storing ammunition. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), an Iraq War Veteran who serves as the top Democrat on the Aviation Safety Subcommittee, raised concerns about how drones would impact flights at Reagan National Airport and questioned how snipers, drones and tourists could all occupy a single space.
“I am here because I am pissed off,” Duckworth said. “I am pissed that the five-time draft-dodging coward of a commander in chief, sitting over there in the White House, dares to dishonor the men and women of this country who have put on her colors and sacrificed and served, and now lay at rest in these hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery.”
Beyer said he believes the president is attempting to use national security as an excuse to bypass due process.
“Who are the snipers going to shoot? The families at the graves or the tourists at the Lincoln Memorial?” he said. “The real explanation is, Trump thinks he’s going to lose in court, and maybe if he shouts ‘national security,’ the Supreme Court will cave.”
Spain, a Marine Corps combat veteran, led protesters in singing “We Shall Overcome.” He voiced outrage at the idea of building the structure so close to Arlington National Cemetery and pledged to “push back and fight back to any level of tyrant that comes to our county.”
“I have some really close friends buried there, and it is just heartbreaking to see that across the [Potomac], we have folks that want to put up some militarized arch with snipers and drones,” he said. “That is a disgrace to our country.”
If the arch is ever built, Spain said, “I will get my chisel and I will be right over there with everybody, tearing it down.”
Other speakers included retired U.S. Army Col. Gary Langston Jr., U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, which is currently challenging construction of the arch in court. County Board member Susan Cunningham was present but didn’t speak.
Protesters plan to continue demonstrating near Memorial Circle until 6 p.m. The demonstration follows a smaller series of protests at the roundabout last month.
The proposed arch is one of several projects the Republican president is pursuing to leave his lasting imprint on Washington, including renaming and renovating the Kennedy Center, building a huge new White House ballroom, refurbishing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and rebuilding a golf course in East Potomac Park that could significantly reduce the public’s access to running and biking paths.
The proposal for a towering, gilded arch received initial approval this summer from a key federal commission, even as an earlier report from the National Park Service said the project could impact the “integrity” of dozens of historic properties because it would change “character-defining visual and spatial relationships” between them. A park service report in August backed the arch despite these issues.
One of the most obvious elements cited by the park service is that the arch would break alignment between the Lincoln Memorial, Memorial Bridge and Arlington House that was formerly Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s home. That alignment was “intended to physically and symbolically unite North and South through a coordinated monumental composition extending across the Potomac River,” the report said.
The Lincoln Memorial-Arlington House connection was one of dozens of historic sites and structures listed as being impacted directly by the proposed structure. It added that the National Mall, the U.S. Capitol, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, Georgetown Historic District, Old Naval Observatory, Key Bridge, National Cathedral and other sites also would be affected.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
