Six Servicemen Protest Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Police Close Lafayette Park

Thanks go to Andy Towle, who posted an article and informative pics about the GetEqual protest today in Lafayette Park. Six servicemen handcuffed themselves to the White House fence today in protest of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy within the U.S. military. Police quickly ushered the press and passersby away from the White House lawn and closed down Lafayette Park in response to the incident.
Press called the police response "outrageous and ridiculous".
Among the protesters was Lt. Dan Choi, quoted as saying:  “We are handcuffing ourselves to the White House gates once again to demand that President Obama show leadership on repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ If the President were serious about keeping his promise to repeal this year, he would put the repeal language in his Defense Authorization budget. The President gave us an order at the Human Rights Campaign dinner to keep pressure on him and we will continue to return to the White House, in larger numbers, until the President keeps his promise to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ this year.”
The protest in question follows an incident yesterday at the recent DNC fundraiser, where LGBT supporters interrupted the President. LGBT activists and supporters have growing concern over whether "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" will be repealed before the next Congressional election.
The GetEqual website has this to say:
"Our hopes swelled when President Obama promised to end Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT). But his words mean nothing without action. And he has an opportunity to take action right now, by placing repeal language in the Defense Authorization Bill (DAB), which provides funding for all military operations. But recent reports suggest that the Administration is trying to delay any law change until December or even later."