Appeals court OKs chalking ban outside White House

A federal appeals court has upheld a ban on chalking outside the White House, the second time in the past two months the court has ruled that certain forms of protest are prohibited at D.C. landmarks.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled Tuesday that the District’s defacement statute — which bans defacing or defiling public or private property — is constitutional. Rev. Patrick Mahoney had challenged the law’s constitutionality after he was told to stop scribbling with sidewalk chalk outside the White House gates at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW in a demonstration to protest President Obama’s views on abortion and to mark the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision.