Dupont Circle is open this weekend during the WorldPride DC parade and festivities after all.
As the fencing around Dupont Circle Park came down late Saturday morning, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the National Park Service (NPS) made a joint statement announcing the change.
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WATCH HEREIt's the latest update in a weeklong back-and-forth over whether the historic neighborhood would be accessible or fenced off during Pride Month's biggest weekend in the District.
"We are pleased that the Mayor's office and the National Park Service could work together overnight on a solution that protects the historic features of this park while also ensuring the safety of all who enjoy it," the statement reads.
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SIGN UP "We want this weekend to be a safe and fun celebration in our nation's capital — and one that includes one of the best parks and community spaces in our city, Dupont Circle. We look forward to working together on future initiatives that keep D.C. safe and beautiful."
The park closure was first announced on June 3 by the NPS, saying the decision was made at the request of D.C. police and U.S. Park Police (USPP).
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D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith had requested the full park closure with "anti-scale" fencing of Dupont Circle on April 22. Her initial request to USPP was to keep that closure in place for the duration of WorldPride.
But after significant backlash from D.C. residents and community leaders, Smith rescinded the closure request later on June 3, via a letter to USPP Chief Jessica Taylor.
“Chief Pamela A. Smith has heard from community members and understands how significant Dupont Circle Park is to the Pride celebration," a D.C. police spokesperson said Wednesday.
But on the same day D.C. police announced the park would be open, USPP was requesting the full park remain closed with that anti-scale fencing, based on the date of a letter from USPP Major Hilsher.
"Open-source intelligence reporting has identified a local DJ advertising and selling tickets to an unpermitted gathering/party in Dupont Circle following World Pride events," Hilsher said in the letter.
Late on June 5, eight-foot-tall fencing went up around the popular gathering spot.
The closure area included the Dupont Memorial Fountain, plus the grassy areas and sidewalks in the center of Dupont Circle. Roads around the traffic circle did not close, according to a map provided by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Vincent Slatt, an ANC commissioner who’s part of the ANC Rainbow Caucus, said Friday that Dupont Circle is important to local queer history.
“This is the historic site. This is the gay neighborhood," Slatt said. "We had our first AIDS vigils here in 1983 during Pride. To close this off and rip it out of the heart of the gay community during World Pride is pretty shocking,” he said.
The second wave of backlash was brought to the attention of Bowser, who said Friday evening that her office was still trying to see if the park could be reopened or if there was an alternative location where people could gather.
As of Saturday, it seems those efforts were successful.
