Thousands of people protested in Washington, D.C., against the deployment of the National Guard. The demonstration, held on Saturday under the banner “We Are All DC,” drew participants from diverse backgrounds, including undocumented immigrants and supporters of Palestinian statehood.
Protesters carried banners and chanted slogans such as “Trump Must Go Now,” “Free DC,” and “Resist Authoritarianism.” Participant Alex Loffer said, “We are standing against authoritarian rule. There is no place for federal police or the National Guard on our streets.”
Last month, former President Trump sent troops to Washington under the pretext of curbing crime, claiming it was necessary to restore law and order. However, according to Justice Department data, violent crime in D.C. fell to its lowest level in three decades in 2024. Currently, over 2,000 troops from six Republican-led states are patrolling the city.
Earlier, Trump declared a state of emergency citing rising crime, prompting the National Guard deployment. The D.C. administration filed a lawsuit on September 4, calling the move unconstitutional. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb described the deployment as “unprecedented, unnecessary, and illegal,” noting that crime in the city has dropped by more than 50% over the past two years.
On the day of the protest, Trump spent time at a golf course instead of visiting the capital. Later, on Truth Social, he hinted at sending troops to Chicago, posting: “I like the smell of exile in the morning”—a satirical reference to a line from a 1979 war film. In another post, he warned that Chicago would soon understand why it is called the “Department of War.”
Source: Reuters