Pence To Speak At Fort McHenry For Republican National Convention

BALTIMORE, MD — Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine will remain closed Wednesday for the second day in a row as Republican National Convention preparations are underway. Vice President Mike Pence is to deliver a speech from the historic site on the third night of the convention.

The theme for Wednesday night is "Land of Heroes."

The National Park Service approved a special use permit applied for by the Maryland Republican Party to hold a First Amendment event at Fort McHenry as Pence delivers his address Wednesday night at the Republican National Convention, according to The Baltimore Sun, which reported a replica of the "Star-Spangled Banner" will fly as he speaks outside.

Park advocates say the conditions of the park make it dangerous, and they say the venue is not an appropriate setting for political activity.

"National parks are meant to be enjoyed by all Americans, regardless of party affiliation or politics," said Phil Francis, Chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks. "It is inappropriate for the NPS to permit partisan political campaign events to be conducted in parks. There are other, far more appropriate venues for such activities that would not be in potential conflict with NPS regulations and policies."

The coalition represents more than 1,800 current and former employees and volunteers of the National Park Service who act as stewards for the nation's parks, services and programs.

“It is relatively rare, if not unprecedented, for the National Park Service (NPS) to use parks as staging areas for partisan political campaign events," Francis said. "We are very concerned about the appropriateness of such use."

Closures for the event include the Fort McHenry National Monument and Shrine at 2400 East Fort Avenue, including adjacent Wallace and Nimitz streets and from the Patapsco River on the east to Nicholson Street on the west.

The Peoples Power Assembly plans a car caravan and march in protest of Pence's visit at 5 p.m. at Douglass Homes.

See Also:

• Day 2 At GOP Convention: A First Lady, A Pardon, Pompeo
• VP Mike Pence To Deliver RNC Address In Baltimore: Report