Amid shutdown, runners protest at Valley Forge

Dozens of people have staged a protest run through Valley Forge National Historical Park after a runner was ticketed amid the government shutdown.

The shutdown has closed the Philadelphia-area site, and local runner John Bell and others have gotten $100 tickets after parking there.

So they are holding a Patriot Run on Sunday.

Bell says they’ve been running on roads that cut through the park and remain open — just steps from the park’s running path.

The National Park Service says at least 20 people have been issued tickets at Valley Forge, and more at parks across the country. A spokesman says safety is a concern, given staff furloughs.

But Bell doesn’t believe safety is an issue at Valley Forge, which has wide paths and gently rolling hills.