[Washington Examiner] A veterans group that plans to continue the tradition of a massive motorcycle ride through Washington, D.C., saw an uptick in interest after the Pentagon denied the organization a parking permit.Rolling to Remember, previously known as Rolling Thunder, planned its annual ride through the district and contacted the Pentagon a year ago to secure a permit to host thousands in its parking lot. After a hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic, the group was looking forward to rekindling its three-decade-old tradition over Memorial Day weekend.
In years past, the deal between the two groups was seemingly no issue, but the government body ultimately denied the group a permit due to "substantial community spread of COVID in the county" and a "health threat level" in the building.
The military's denial saw fierce backlash, though the controversy has bolstered interest in the event, drawing between 50,000 and 100,000 potential attendees for May 30, Joseph Chenelly, the executive director of AMVETS, the group in charge of 2021's ride, told the Washington Examiner in an interview.