Thousands of protesters marched across Washington, D.C. in one of the largest demonstrations against President Donald Trump’s federal takeover of policing in the nation’s capital.
Behind a bright red banner reading “END THE D.C. OCCUPATION” in English and Spanish, protesters marched over two miles from Meridian Hill Park to Freedom Plaza near the White House to rail against the fourth week of National Guard troops and federal agents patrolling D.C.’s streets.
The “We Are All D.C.” protest, put together by local advocates of Home Rule and the American Civil Liberties Union, was perhaps the most organized demonstration yet against Trump’s federal intervention in Washington, NBC News reported.
The president justified the action last month as a way to address crime and homelessness in the city, even though city officials have noted that violent crime is lower than it was during Trump’s first term in office.
Trump targeted D.C. after deploying the National Guard to Los Angeles earlier this summer as the administration ramped up its immigration enforcement efforts and attempted to quell protests.
The White House then turned to Washington, which presented a unique opportunity for Trump to push his tough-on-crime agenda because of its subservient status to the federal government.