White House fence plan gets warm look from federal design panel
A Trump administration proposal would put permanent fencing around Lafayette Square, a 7-acre park with a long history of protests.
By Frankie Delgado · News Reporter
3 min read
A federal design panel on Thursday considered a Trump administration plan to install permanent fencing around Lafayette Square, the 7-acre park across from the White House that has long been a stage for protest and public speech, NBC News reported.
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts did not vote on the proposal, according to NBC News, but members signaled they were receptive to the White House’s security-focused renovation plan.
James C. McCrery II, the commission’s vice chair, described the plan as a boundary rather than a shutdown. “The proposal is not to close the park, but to enclose the park,” McCrery said, according to NBC News. “It’s still open.”
The commission reviews design projects in Washington, but it acts in an advisory role and does not have enforcement power, NBC News reported. The panel is made up of Trump appointees.
The fencing proposal comes as President Donald Trump and the Secret Service have cited concerns about White House security and possible vandalism, according to NBC News. Temporary fencing is already in place around Lafayette Square.
McCrery said the Secret Service remains committed to protecting First Amendment rights, while saying actions by some protesters had pushed the White House to seek added security measures, NBC News reported.
Rodney Mims Cook Jr., the commission’s chairman, said the panel had received more than 100 public comments on the plan, according to NBC News. Many commenters raised concerns about Lafayette Square’s role as a public gathering place for First Amendment activity and argued that the park is public land, not property for a president to close.
A park with a long protest history
Lafayette Square has been tied to demonstrations for more than a century. NBC News reported that protests there date to 1917, when more than 500 women gathered for women’s suffrage pickets.
The park again became a focal point for demonstrations after the death of George Floyd, which led to its temporary closure, according to NBC News.
The fence plan is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to change high-profile sites in Washington, NBC News reported. Since Trump returned for a second term, the administration has advanced plans for a 250-foot triumphal arch near the National Mall, overseen work on the Reflecting Pool and pushed to rename and redesign the Kennedy Center.
The commission also approved revised plans Thursday for a new security screening facility for White House visitors, NBC News reported. That project is among the latest changes to the White House property following the start of construction on a ballroom.
For now, the Lafayette Square fencing plan remains without a final vote from the design panel. The discussion, however, showed that the administration’s proposal has support among at least some members of the advisory commission, while public commenters continue to press concerns about access, protest rights and the future of one of Washington’s most visible civic spaces.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.