By Oliver Darcy
It will be illegal to walk on the National Mall if the federal government shuts down, a spokesperson for the National Parks Service (NPS) said Monday.
NPS Spokeswoman Carol Johnson told TheBlaze Monday the entire National Mall would legally close to the public during a shutdown, but admitted it would be difficult, if not impossible, to enforce.
“The mall theoretically is legally closed,” Johnson said. “Now, obviously people walking across it … there is nothing much we can do, but it is legally closed.”
A spokesperson for the National Parks Police did not return multiple requests for comment made by TheBlaze to see if individuals would be cited for walking on the mall.
Johnson did say the NPS is taking proactive measures to particularly close off the monuments.
“We will be barricading a lot of them,” she said. “The Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson, MLK, World War II. We will be turning off the fountains.”