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Conservative politicians, veterans and protestors descended upon the National Mall this weekend to protest the federal government shutdown, which is now in its third week, while some chose to rally against President Obama.

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin (the actual one), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and thousands of people gathered at the World War II Memorial to remove the barricades put up by the National Park Service. WTOP reports:

Beginning at about 9:30 a.m., Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, as well as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, were among the luminaries in a crowd that chanted “Tear down these walls!” and sang “God Bless America” as well as other patriotic songs as they entered the memorial, which has been closed since the government shutdown that began Oct. 1.

Palin kept her message simple (“You look around though and you see these barricades and you have to ask yourself, is this any way that a commander in chief would show his respect, his gratitude to our military? This is a matter of shutdown priorities”), as did Cruz (“Our veterans should be above politics. Enough games.”), CNN reported. But Freedom Watch’s Larry Klayman, a birther attorney, really went there when he called for Obama to “put the Quran down.”

I call upon all of you to wage a second American nonviolent revolution, to use civil disobedience, and to demand that this president leave town, to get up, to put the Quran down, to get up off his knees, and to figuratively come out with his hands up.

Protestors then carried the barricades over a mile to the White House, where some held signs calling for Obama to be impeached, while others yelled at police officers, WNEW reported.

Goldline spokesperson Glenn Beck was also in town this weekend with Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Tea Party “patriots” to literally clean up D.C. by picking up garbage.

Yes, Beck met with Lincoln Memorial mower Chris Cox.

In a Q&A posted on the National Parks Conservation Association’s website, budget and appropriations director John Garder reiterated that WWII veterans are being allowed to visit their memorial to “honor first amendment activities.” But he urged people to not sneak into parks or move gates. “As well-intentioned as any effort may be, people who ignore and defy Park Service staff put their own safety at risk and complicate the ability of a skeleton crew of park rangers to protect resources that are regularly under threat,” he said. “Last weekend, a greatly reduced staff at Acadia National Park rescued a woman who ignored the barricades and suffered a fall on Flying Mountain Trail.”

Filed Under: federal government shutdown, sarah palin, ted cruz, white house, world war ii memorial, WWII memorial,