A three-part series on the round-the-clock anti-Trump encampment at Union Station — its founding, its crackdown, and its resurrection.
FLARE 24/7: A Protest in the Heart of the Capital
By Dave Price
⚖️ “They cleared us out. We came back anyway.”
Ten days after the U.S. government tore down the FLARE 24/7 protest camp under the cover of early morning darkness — citing disputed safety claims and an alleged assault — the camp was back.
The tents reappeared.
The signs went up again.
The protestors returned.
And this time, they brought with them something even more powerful than righteous anger: a brand new federal permit.
📝 Permit Reinstated — But the Battle Wasn’t Over
On October 13, 2025, the National Park Service approved a new demonstration permit for FLARE USA. It authorized the group to reestablish its 24/7 protest at Union Station — the very location from which they’d been evicted just 10 days earlier.
The permit was valid through February 13, 2026.
FLARE, which had fought tooth and nail to reassert its First Amendment rights, called it a vindication.
“FLARE is back in business,” said David Mytych, the group’s congressional outreach lead.
“The First Amendment, as of today, is still alive.”
— WTOP, Oct. 14, 2025
They weren’t just allowed to return — they were permitted to stay for four more months.
🧭 A New Location, Same Mission
There was one notable change. Under the new permit, FLARE was assigned a different location within Columbus Circle.
Instead of the northwest side of the plaza — the spot they had occupied since May 1 — the group was relocated to the southeast side of the fountain.
Dominique Moore, one of FLARE’s logistics leads, confirmed the relocation:
“We technically had to reapply, so it is a brand-new permit application — and that is the location they approved us for this time.”
— Washingtonian, Oct. 14, 2025
While some activists initially saw the move as a symbolic “pushing aside,” others took it in stride.
“We're still here. We're still in the circle. And we're still not leaving,” one volunteer said during the reinstatement rally.
🕵️♂️ What Really Happened — A Web of Bureaucracy and Silence
The 10 days between FLARE’s removal and reinstatement were marked by confusion, legal maneuvering, and behind-the-scenes inquiries into what really led to the October 3 crackdown.
Activists began connecting dots, filing FOIA requests, and pressing contacts within the National Park Service.
What they found was troubling.
“Our permit contact at NPS wasn’t even aware that the group’s permit had been yanked,” Moore told reporters.
“That notice was not printed on letterhead or signed. It seems that it did come from probably much higher up in the administration. That’s our guess.”
— Washingtonian, Oct. 14, 2025
In other words, FLARE suspected the order came not from park officials, but from elsewhere — possibly the Department of the Interior, or higher.
And the inconsistencies piled up:
No FLARE-affiliated person was arrested or charged in connection to the alleged “assault.”
The revocation notice lacked a signature and formal formatting.
The same agency that revoked the original permit quickly approved a new one — without changes to leadership or policy.
“It doesn’t make sense why they would reissue a permit if all those things in the revocation letter were true,” Moore added.
— Washingtonian, Oct. 14, 2025
To FLARE, this wasn’t just bureaucratic confusion. It was an abuse of power, cloaked in paperwork.
🔄 Return of the Seized Property — Sort Of
When the permit was reinstated, so too was FLARE’s ability to recover some of the property seized in the sweep.
Through negotiations and documentation, activists managed to retrieve:
Most of their tents and signage
Audio equipment and portable chargers
Personal gear
Paperwork and protest materials
But not everything was returned in full. Some items were damaged. Some were allegedly still in government storage. Others, activists claim, simply vanished.
Michael, a lead organizer, didn’t mince words:
“They kidnapped all of our stuff against our will, and it was illegally done.”
— WTOP, Oct. 14, 2025
Even after the reinstatement, FLARE continued pursuing possible legal action over the seizure.
🏛️ A Bigger Story — Rights, Resistance, and Retaliation
To outside observers, the story of FLARE 24/7 might seem like a localized dispute over a protest permit.
But to those who were there — and to constitutional watchdogs across the country — it became something more: a case study in the boundaries of public protest in an age of creeping authoritarianism.
For five months, FLARE had occupied public space peacefully and legally. They had operated with a government permit. Their cause — opposing Trump’s return to power — was politically volatile, yes, but protected speech.
So why were they removed?
Why was the permit revoked without warning?
Why was the seizure so sudden, so theatrical, and so loosely justified?
Why did no one claim responsibility?
Those questions remain unanswered.
“We’re just trying to follow these threads,” Moore said. “Little nuggets of information one department has told us versus another department.”
— Washingtonian, Oct. 14, 2025
The one thing FLARE knows for sure? If they hadn’t pushed back — legally, publicly, and loudly — they wouldn’t have gotten their permit back. And their protest might have been erased entirely.
🎤 Back to the Circle. Back to the Message.
As of this writing, the encampment continues.
The new southeast footprint of FLARE 24/7 is smaller but no less determined. Signs once again flutter in the breeze. Volunteers greet visitors with pamphlets. Candles burn during evening vigils. Tourists pause, curious. Trump supporters occasionally heckle.
But the presence remains.
And presence, in a democracy, matters.
“This isn’t just about Trump,” one organizer said. “It’s about the right to speak out. To resist. To be seen.”
FLARE 24/7 may not have made national headlines every day. But for nearly a year, it held sacred space in the capital — and dared the government to push it aside.
They did.
FLARE pushed back.
And — for now — the circle still holds.
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