The US Park Police stationed outside the White House are in hot water after they blocked reporters (see YouTube video) and closed Lafayette Park amidst a “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” gay rights protest on Tuesday.

A Park Police spokesman put the blame squarely on his department, not the White House or Administration, and told Politico it was  a “rookie, amateur error” and “embarrassing.”

I can tell you from personal experience that the police outside the White House seem to commonly make rookie errors, as I was walking by there a few weeks ago and hundreds of tourists and pedestrians were moved back from the White House gates for over 30 minutes, supposedly due to the presidential dog being let outside (and he was not in any way visible from the street). Just imagine — these whole classes of kids traveled from the heartland to see the most famous house in America, and they’re forced instead to just look at some policeman (above). 

If that was indeed the reason to disrupt almost the entire block of Pennsylvania Avenue, I would say there is some ridiculous overreaction going on there.

Article from Politico