KKK rally canceled, photo by Paul Lowry via Creative Commons

The Maryland-based Confederate White Knights, a subset of the Klan had gotten a special-use permit for the rally last week, for a planned gathering on Oct. 5. 

The gathering of the extremist group in front of a national landmark would undoubtedly have been unpopular, but the first amendment would have afforded them the right to do just that—had the government not shutdown of course. 

The governmental stalemate will prevent the KKK group from exercising their freedom of speech and right to assemble, as all national parks and monuments have been shut down. 

Read more of Neon Tommy’s coverage of the government shutdown here.

Contact Executive Producer Sara Newman here. Follow her here.