‘March for Our Lives’ won’t take place on National Mall due to scheduling conflict

A pro-gun control march planned for later this month in Washington, D.C., won’t take place on the National Mall due to a scheduling conflict.

According to WTOP, the group behind the “March for Our Lives” event submitted a permit request to the National Park Service to hold the event on the Mall on March 24. NPS spokesman Mike Litterst told the news outlet the agency had already received a permit application for some of the same areas on the day requested by the march organizers.

“We process [on a] first-come, first-served basis,” Litterst told WTOP. “So, because that area is not available, we’re working with them to find alternate locations.”

{mosads}Litterst said the NPS received a filming permit for the area, and he told The Washington Post the application was from a “student group at a local educational institution.”

A redacted permit application obtained by the Post showed the application was filed for a “student project” related to “filming for a talent show.”

Litterst pledged the NPS would work with the Florida students organizing the march, which is expected to draw up to 500,000 attendees, to find an alternate space. He said other possible locations include West Potomac Park and Pennsylvania Avenue, which is controlled by the local D.C. government.

“It’s ultimately up to the organizers to decide on a location that they want,” Litterst told WTOP. “We work with them to find other locations that are available and can accommodate the number of folks that they’re interested in.”

The march, organized by students who survived the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last month, has drawn national attention and financial support from celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey and George and Amal Clooney, who along with Steven Spielberg have pledged money for the event.

The march is set to feature student speakers, musical performers and video tributes, according to the Post. The organizers of the march are also encouraging students in cities across the country to hold local marches.