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Until 1970, it was illegal to fly a kite in Washington. Hippies got the law changed.
Local • Perspective
Until 1970, it was illegal to fly a kite in Washington. Hippies got the law changed.
By John Kelly
Columnist
April 4, 2020 at 3:59 p.m. EDT
Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel? And who breaks a kite upon a truncheon? ... Well, the U.S. Park Police, in one of the oddest law enforcement actions Washington has ever seen. It took place 50 years ago this month. ... We’re talking about the Great Kite Bust, an April Saturday — two, in fact — when anyone who dared loft a kite on the Mall was arrested.
{snip}
A section of the District Code dating to 1892 made it illegal to fly a kite over “any street, avenue, alley, open space, public inclosure, or square within the limits of the cities of Washington and Georgetown.” ... Presumably intended to safeguard power and telephone lines, the law hadn’t been enforced in modern memory. But the late 1960s were a contentious time in America. A lot of people were itching for a fight.
{snip}
This, then, was the atmosphere on April 11, 1970, when about 30 young people gathered on the Washington Monument grounds. ... “If you want to change the law bad enough, make them enforce it,” Maranian said. “That was the plan: Make them enforce it. We had a kite-in.”
As the protesters loosed their kites upon the breeze, and a crowd began singing “America the Beautiful,” the police moved in. One mounted officer told a teenager to reel in her kite “because this area is in the landing pattern for National Airport” and because the kite might strike high-tension lines (of which there were none).
A young man was blackjacked and arrested for drinking in public. Four others, including Maranian, were charged with kite-flying. ... Maranian and some friends decided to up the ante the following week by distributing fliers inviting more people to break the law.
{snip}
John Kelly
John Kelly writes John Kelly's Washington, a daily look at Washington's less-famous side. Born in Washington, John started at The Post in 1989 as deputy editor in the Weekend section. Follow https://twitter.com/JohnKelly
Until 1970, it was illegal to fly a kite in Washington. Hippies got the law changed.
By John Kelly
Columnist
April 4, 2020 at 3:59 p.m. EDT
Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel? And who breaks a kite upon a truncheon? ... Well, the U.S. Park Police, in one of the oddest law enforcement actions Washington has ever seen. It took place 50 years ago this month. ... We’re talking about the Great Kite Bust, an April Saturday — two, in fact — when anyone who dared loft a kite on the Mall was arrested.
{snip}
A section of the District Code dating to 1892 made it illegal to fly a kite over “any street, avenue, alley, open space, public inclosure, or square within the limits of the cities of Washington and Georgetown.” ... Presumably intended to safeguard power and telephone lines, the law hadn’t been enforced in modern memory. But the late 1960s were a contentious time in America. A lot of people were itching for a fight.
{snip}
This, then, was the atmosphere on April 11, 1970, when about 30 young people gathered on the Washington Monument grounds. ... “If you want to change the law bad enough, make them enforce it,” Maranian said. “That was the plan: Make them enforce it. We had a kite-in.”
As the protesters loosed their kites upon the breeze, and a crowd began singing “America the Beautiful,” the police moved in. One mounted officer told a teenager to reel in her kite “because this area is in the landing pattern for National Airport” and because the kite might strike high-tension lines (of which there were none).
A young man was blackjacked and arrested for drinking in public. Four others, including Maranian, were charged with kite-flying. ... Maranian and some friends decided to up the ante the following week by distributing fliers inviting more people to break the law.
{snip}
John Kelly
John Kelly writes John Kelly's Washington, a daily look at Washington's less-famous side. Born in Washington, John started at The Post in 1989 as deputy editor in the Weekend section. Follow https://twitter.com/JohnKelly
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