SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1984, THE WASHINGTON POST
White House Demonstration Rules Upheld
U. S. Court of Appeals here yesterday upheld restrictions in effect since May on the activities of demonstrators on the Pennsylvania Avenue sidewalk in front of the White House.
National Park Service regulations control the size of protest signs and ban all signs from a "center zone" of the sidewalk where, according to the Park Service, they might block tourists' view of the mansion. The rules also prohibit individuals from leaving parcels on the sidewalk.
Restrictions were challenged by lawyers for several demonstrators and were thrown out in April by U.S. District Judge William B. Bryant. The appeals court stayed Bryant's order, however, while an appeal by the government was pending.
U.S. attorney's office argued that the rules were needed for aesthetic and security reasons, contending that terrorists could leave explosive devices in parcels that could be obscured by demonstrators' signs.