Thousands Rally in Washington against Trump’s Federal Policing

English , International - بین الاقوامی , Snippets , / Sunday, September 7th, 2025

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 7, 2025 — Thousands of demonstrators marched through Washington, DC, on Saturday to protest President Donald Trump’s decision to place the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and deploy National Guard troops across the city.
The “We Are All D.C.” march, organized by advocacy groups, civil rights organizations, and labor unions, began at Meridian Hill Park and concluded at Freedom Plaza near the White House. Protesters carried banners reading “End the D.C. Occupation” and “Trump Must Go Now,” while chanting slogans such as “Troops go home.”
Speakers warned that the federal intervention undermined local democracy, citing the capital’s lack of statehood as a vulnerability. DC Council member Janeese Lewis George joined the marchers, calling Washington a city that “embraces, not excludes,” and urging full statehood to safeguard residents’ rights.
Labor leaders, immigrant advocates, and community organizers criticized the policing surge’s impact on communities of color, immigrants, and small businesses. One activist accused security forces of “detaining our immigrant community” and enabling the administration’s “racist agenda.”
Trump declared a crime emergency on Aug. 11, ordering the deployment of more than 2,000 federal troops, including reinforcements from Republican-led states. His administration said the operation resulted in nearly 2,000 arrests, 200 firearms seized, and dozens of homeless encampments cleared. City officials, however, countered that violent and property crime were already declining before the intervention.
The Justice Department has faced criticism from judges and local leaders over case handling, with accusations of overcharging and civil rights violations. DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit challenging the deployment as unconstitutional.
Saturday’s rally concluded with pledges of continued mobilization, as Trump signaled intentions to expand similar crackdowns to other Democratic-led cities, including Chicago and Los Angeles.