Residents of Washington, D.C. have taken a stand — for the right to sled.
As several inches of snow blanketed the nation’s capital, families gathered on Capitol Hill to partake in some winter fun on a day when federal offices were closed due to the storm. But there’s one problem — sledding on the Capitol grounds is banned. In a city where protests are practically a daily occurrence, residents of the district proudly defied the ban.
“I don’t think it’s very fair because the people have a right to sled,” Nicole Rothe told NBC News’ Frank Thorp. “Let the people sled, it’s a fundamental right.”
Ahead of the storm, Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, who represents the District of Columbia, sent a letter Wednesday to U.S. Senate Sergeant at Arms Frank Larkin, asking for the sledding ban to be temporarily lifted.
“This could be the last snowstorm the D.C. area gets this winter, and may be one of the best for sledding in years,” Norton said in a statement accompanying her letter. “Children and their parents should able to enjoy sledding on one of the best hills in the city. This is a one-time waiver that will allow D.C. kids to sled while we await a more formal review of the ban, which will likely come after the last snow has fallen in our region. Have a heart, Mr. Larkin, a kid’s heart that is.”








