Lawsuit seeks to stop UFC fight on White House South Lawn
A federal lawsuit demands the cancellation of an upcoming UFC fight on the White House South Lawn. The event is timed to President Donald Trump's 80th birthday and the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
Essence of the lawsuit
The lawsuit, filed on Saturday by the organization Public Integrity Project on behalf of two Virginia residents, claims that the Trump administration's permission to hold the event on June 14 was illegal. According to the lawsuit, such permission violates National Park Service rules prohibiting sporting events on federal park lands, Congress did not consent to a high arch over the event site, and an environmental review was not conducted before construction began.
Plaintiffs' opinion
Plaintiffs' attorney Brendan Ballou stated: "This is a fundamentally private, commercial, corrupt use of our most sacred national monuments for personal gain. That is precisely what motivates this lawsuit."
White House response
The White House in a statement called the legal challenge an "obstructionist, baseless, and dilatory" attempt to prevent Trump from holding the fight and said the event "is no different from various other events held by the White House on the South Lawn and is properly authorized."
Construction work
In Washington, D.C., on the White House South Lawn, construction of an arena for the UFC mixed martial arts show continues. Construction of the fighting cage began on June 5. AP photographers John McDonnell and Allison Robbert captured the progress.
Additional information
The lawsuit seeks to stop the event scheduled for June 14. The event is held as part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. The outcome of the lawsuit is not yet known.