Activists have raised $13,000 to bring the “Baby Trump” balloon to DC in protest of President Donald Trump’s “Salute to America” speech on the Fourth of July.
President Trump will be speaking at the Lincoln Memorial before what is slated to be the largest fireworks show in DC history.
National Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst confirmed to Fox 5 that the activist organization Code Pink has been granted a permit to fly the 20 foot balloon during his speech. The group shared a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe to get the balloon to the event, which has raised $13,155 as of Wednesday afternoon.
“On Thursday, July 4, 2019 Donald Trump is planning to speak at the Lincoln Memorial at an event called ‘A Salute to America’– and we say NO WAY!” Code Pink wrote on the GoFundMe campaign. “We’d love to personally invite you to our parade on July 4th at the National Mall where we’ll have the Baby Trump Blimp flying high for Donald Trump himself to see.”
Litterst has not yet confirmed exactly where the group will be allowed to set it up their protest.
“The president is shifting the 4th of July festivities to celebrate his administration,” Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin in a statement about the event. “We will bring together people opposed to the pain and suffering caused by this administration, from family separation at the border to supplying weapons used by Saudi Arabia to kill Yemeni children.”
Gates will open for DC’s Independence Day festivities at 3 p.m. and President Trump is scheduled to speak at 6 p.m.
“I think it’s safe to say without much exaggeration that this is going to be the largest fireworks show D.C. has ever seen,” Litterst said.
