Protesters gathered near the National Mall over Memorial Day weekend opposing President Donald Trump’s planned 250-foot triumphal arch. The demonstrations followed federal approval of the monument’s final design. Activists erected a mock arch and held two days of rallies, with it continuing till Tuesday. They argued the structure has no place in protected parkland near Arlington National Cemetery.
Protestors rally against Donald Trump’s 250-foot arch in Washington
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts unanimously approved the design concept and site plan for the proposed 250-foot arch last week, clearing a significant regulatory hurdle. The monument is planned for Memorial Circle, just north of the Lincoln Memorial and near the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery. In response, the activist group Third Act DMV organized a series of marches, vigils, and demonstrations aimed squarely at halting the project.
“I think it says it all — no tacky Trump arch,” said Mary Keegan, a Northern Virginia resident helping organize the event. Organizers adopted the slogan “86 the arch” to demand that the plan be scrapped entirely. Susan Douglas, an organizer with Third Act Virginia, said the group built a 17-foot mock arch to illustrate how intrusive the full-scale monument would appear against the memorial corridor. “It’s going to block the view between the Lincoln Memorial and National Cemetery, and it’s actually a historical view,” Douglas said.
She added that the demonstrations were driven by frustration over costs and processes. “We’re just fed up. This is not a project we voted for, but we have to pay for,” Douglas shared. “To say no to the arch, so our theme is really ‘86 the arch’ and arch insanity.” More than 50 demonstrators marched across the bridge on the first day. “We don’t need it, we don’t want it,” Keegan stated (via WUSA9).
Legal questions also shadow the proposal. Opponents argue the arch could violate laws restricting new construction on federal parkland in the nation’s capital. A separate lawsuit filed by a group of Vietnam veterans is already challenging the project. President Trump has shared that he does not need congressional approval, as the Department of the Interior owns the land. However, critics maintain their stance.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
