Pence Presence Draws Many Counterprotesters, Few Supporters

BALTIMORE, MD — Counterprotesters converged around Locust Point on Wednesday night as Vice President Mike Pence prepared to speak at Fort McHenry for the third night of the Republican National Convention.

Annie Bethell, 16, a rising junior at Baltimore City College, said she wanted to let those in power know "their bigotry and homophobia are not welcome."

About 20 people, most of them teens, planned to meet her as part of a counterprotest, she told Patch.

"It was really hypocritical that he has crapped on Baltimore," Bethell said of President Donald Trump, who called the city a "rat-infested mess" in 2019.

At the end of Pence's address, Trump made a surprise appearance at Fort McHenry with the first lady, and country star Trace Adkins sang the national anthem shortly afterward.

"To use it as a platform was disgusting and disruptive," Bethell said, stating she disagreed with the use of Fort McHenry, a national park, for a campaign event.

"This is a national park, not a political playground," Bethell said.

The Coalition to Protect America's National Parks — which represents more than 1,800 current and former employees and volunteers of the National Park Service — also opposed the use of Fort McHenry for the event.

"It is relatively rare, if not unprecedented, for the National Park Service (NPS) to use parks as staging areas for partisan political campaign events," Phil Francis, chair of the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks, said in a letter to acting director of the National Park Service.

Using Fort McHenry for the event has raised concern about violations of the Hatch Act, which restricts federal employees from participating in political activities.

"It is inappropriate for the NPS to permit partisan political campaign events to be conducted in parks," Francis said. "There are other, far more appropriate venues for such activities that would not be in potential conflict with NPS regulations and policies."

Pedestrians lined the sides of Fort Avenue approaching Fort McHenry, which was closed to the public Tuesday and Wednesday in preparation for the Republican National Convention.

Maria Ciccanti of Baltimore said she was protesting the policies of the Trump-Pence administration and its "complete trampling of the Constitution," including its violation of "Hatch— the abuse of power — using this as a platform."

While the majority of those who lined Fort Avenue held signs showing discontent, Tony Ondrusek of Parkville said he wanted to show support for the Trump administration.

"I am a patriotic American," Ondrusek said. "I support my president."

See Also:

• Pence To Speak At Fort McHenry For Republican National Convention
• Day 2 At GOP Convention: A First Lady, A Pardon, Pompeo
• VP Mike Pence To Deliver RNC Address In Baltimore: Report