Hmm, not sure I buy this. During the procession, he wouldn’t have any business anyway, because the street will be blocked. They wanted to use part of his lot, not all of it. Seems it would have been good PR to be seen as helping out the police and fire departments. I think he is trying to salvage what he can of his reputation.
“I think he is trying to salvage what he can of his reputation.”
I agree. He made a dumb decision, he knows it, and is trying to recover.