The plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit trying to stop the UFC event from taking place at the White House Sunday, June 14 take exception to its billing. That would be a “celebration of the 250th Anniversary of American Independence.’’
By contrast, the plaintiffs cite a few notable items about the scheduled event in support of emergency application for a temporary restraining order or, in the alternative, an expeditated preliminary injunction.
“Such a volcano of corruption, if allowed to go forward, will mark an inflection point in American history,’’ states the plaintiffs’ filing with the federal district court in Washington, D.C. at about 9 p.m. ET Wednesday.
The defendants, the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior, filed a memorandum Tuesday night in opposition to the plaintiffs’ emergency application for a temporary restraining order.
Judge Amit Mehta, appointed by former President Barack Obama, is now free to rule on the lawsuit. He also can schedule hearings.
The civil lawsuit was filed June 6, and the government criticized the plaintiffs for an “inexcusable,” so-called delay.
“Plaintiffs acted promptly as soon as their injuries accrued and the full scope of the event’s lawlessness became clear,’’ the filing states. “And the equities favor enjoining the corrupt spectacle now, before the damage is done for good.’’
The plaintiffs focus not only on the use of the White House grounds, but also the Lincoln Memorial, where the UFC said it will host a press conference and face-offs Friday, according to CNN.
“A principal goal of this litigation has, since the start, been to block the UFC’s illegal use of the Memorial chamber,’’ the filing states.
The matter of harm
In their memorandum, the defendants took issue with the “aesthetic” harm cited by the plaintiffs − Paul Romano, a Vietnam War veteran, and Susan Douglas, a longtime civil activist and organizer. Both live in Virginia and work to preserve Washington’s monumental spaces, according to a news release issued by the Public Integrity Project, which filed the lawsuit.
“As set forth in their declarations, both Plaintiffs will suffer irreparable harm if the Lincoln Memorial chamber is exploited as a prop for fighter face-offs,’’ the filing states.
Addressing the plaintiffs’ objection to the use of the South Lawn of the White House, their filing states, “UFC Freedom 250 is a for-profit endeavor from which the President and his allies stand to profit. It is because of this fundamental corruption that Plaintiffs are entitled to preliminary relief against the Sunday night fights on the South Lawn.’’
The plaintiffs also pointed to concessions they said were made after the lawsuit was filed. One involves “The Claw,’’ as the UFC calls the arena − the 92-foot, 600-ton arena constructed on the South Lawn.
The filing also addressed the potential harm to the plaintiffs and the potential burden to the defendants if a temporary restraining order were granted and the event were halted.
“Between Defendants and Plaintiffs, the balance of equities and public interest tip decidedly in the latter’s favor, as there is no public interest in letting the government break the law,” the filing states.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fate of UFC Freedom 250 at White House now in judge’s hands
