Judge temporarily halts construction of Trump's 76-metre triumphal arch in Washington

In brief

• A federal judge has temporarily blocked construction of Donald Trump's 76-metre triumphal arch in Washington for 14 days.
• The ruling came hours after the National Capital Planning Commission approved the project by an 8-4 vote.
• Virginia, the District of Columbia and a group of veterans have sued to stop the project.

Planning commission approves the arch

The National Capital Planning Commission gave final approval on Thursday to a 250-foot (76-metre) triumphal arch that Donald Trump has pushed for in central Washington. The vote was 8-4 after a hearing of roughly nine hours, during which dozens of witnesses spoke against the structure (Judge temporarily halts building work on Trump’s triumphal arch – The Guardian). Most of the commission's members have ties to the administration or to the president. Its chair, Mark Paoletta, argued that monuments are a way of showing the nation's identity (Sędzia wstrzymuje budowę łuku triumfalnego. Pokrzyżowała plany Donalda Trumpa – Onet).

Judge orders a pause

Early on Friday, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a temporary restraining order barring construction work for 14 days. The order covers any start of construction or site preparation on the Memorial Circle, including removing the grass in the traffic circle where the arch is to stand (Суд заборонив Трампу зводити тріумфальну арку на вʼїзді до Вашингтона – Espreso) (USA: Richterin stoppt Arbeiten an Donald Trumps Triumphbogen – DER SPIEGEL). In a 33-page ruling, Chutkan wrote that the order bars the defendants from beginning construction or site preparation. She also said the administration appeared to have skipped too many procedural steps in rushing approval, which likely violated the law governing memorial structures (Суд заборонив Трампу будувати тріумфальну арку на в’їзді у Вашингтон – Українська правда). Chutkan was appointed by Barack Obama and, according to reports, has often clashed with Trump in court.

Lawsuits

The State of Virginia and the District of Columbia jointly sued to block the project, and a group of veterans filed a separate suit. The plaintiffs argue that environmental and historic reviews were bypassed and that the project needed congressional authorization, which the administration had not sought (Суд приостановил строительство 76-метровой триумфальной арки в Вашингтоне. Трамп хотел начать возводить ее сразу после разрешения (лояльной ему) специальной комиссии – Meduza).

Size and scope

The arch would be taller than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and taller than the Statue of Liberty without its pedestal (Monument vyšší než parížsky originál aj Socha slobody: V USA schválili výstavbu Trumpovho víťazného oblúka aj napriek protestom – Aktuality.sk). Estimates reported by Deutschlandfunk put its cost at up to $100 million (USA - Richterin stoppt Bau von Trumps geplantem Triumphbogen vorerst – Deutschlandfunk). It is one of several projects Trump has launched in the capital, which also include a renovation of a public golf course and a White House ballroom under construction.

Opposition

Virginia Representative Don Beyer said the arch would congest traffic for years, affect nearby Reagan National Airport, and raise public safety threats that the commission declined to address (Komise schválila Trumpův 76metrový vítězný oblouk. Práce hned zablokoval soud – Novinky.cz). Protesters gathered in Arlington, Virginia, before the vote.

What happens next

The restraining order runs for 14 days. Work at the site stays on hold while the court considers whether to extend or lift it and while the lawsuits proceed (Triumphbogen für Donald Trump: US-Richterin blockiert Bau von Trumps geplantem Triumphbogen vorerst – ZEIT ONLINE).

Read also

• Virginia and D.C. sue to halt construction of Trump's proposed arch in Washington