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New York Times
18 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Trump Administration Live Updates: Three Republican-Led States Pledge More National Guard Troops for D.C.
Scores of demonstrators took to the streets of Washington on an oppressively hot and humid Saturday to protest the Trump administration's deployment of National Guard troops. Hundreds gathered at Dupont Circle for a march through Washington to protest the deployment, which the Trump administration has claimed was meant to clamp down on crime and homelessness in the city. Many of the demonstrators dismissed that pretext and said the National Guard deployment was an abuse of power. An activist group called Refuse Fascism led the demonstrators as they marched down Connecticut Avenue to the National Mall, filling the road and blocking traffic. Many were wearing bright orange bandannas and holding signs with slogans, including 'Trump Must Go Now' and 'No ICE! No National Guard!' Metropolitan Police officers on bicycles looked on from afar as the group marched in what was a largely peaceful, upbeat protest. Marchers sang, danced and blew brightly colored whistles. One blasted music — by D.C.-based artists only — from a portable speaker. The crowd chanted and cheered at drivers who honked in support. Many marchers were residents of Washington and its suburbs, and they said they showed up to to defend of the region they call home. Robin Galbraith, 61, said she hoped the current moment would underscore the need for statehood in the District of Columbia. She said that, too often, federal lawmakers, particularly Republicans, have used the district as a pawn 'for their own agenda.' 'Trump is attacking my city to distract from everything that's going bad in his administration,' said Ms. Galbraith, a retired schoolteacher who has lived in the area all her life. Sam Luban, 29, who has lived in the nation's capital for almost six years, said she had embraced the city as her own and thought it was sometimes unfairly maligned by those who don't understand its beauty. She said this week had been a tense time in the district, whose residents were overwhelmingly liberal. 'It's a city that hates the current administration, but it has to survive under it,' Ms. Luban said. 'It's being attacked right now.' As Ms. Luban marched down Connecticut Avenue, she carried over her head a painted cardboard sign that read, 'I did it. I threw the sandwich,' quoting Sean C. Dunn, a Justice Department employee who hurled a 'sub-style' sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection officer last weekend. Mr. Dunn, who was fired from his job and charged with assaulting a federal officer, has become something of a folk hero for some residents, Ms. Luban said. 'He's become like a local legend, and that's what D.C.'s all about,' she said. Sandwiches appeared to be a motif of sort in the protest. Some demonstrators, like Ms. Luban, drew them on signs. Others opted for the real deal: At least two marchers held aloft actual sandwiches, much to the amusement of some and befuddlement of at least one passerby who wondered aloud why someone would bring a baguette to a protest. As demonstrators passed between the White House and the Washington Monument, the mood briefly turned tense as some berated National Guard troops standing in front of a military vehicle. Some marchers shouted expletives and yelled 'traitor' at the Guard members. Police officers who had been following the protest intervened, forming a barrier between the crowd and the troops with bicycles. The tension dissipated, and the protest moved on, joining forces with a handful of demonstrators who had been at the White House. Among them was Robin Matthewman, a 68-year-old retired foreign service officer who carried a sign declaring that she was 'proud to protest a police state.' At least one person was detained by the U.S. Park Police and U.S. Secret Service officers outside the White House. It was not clear what may have caused the arrest. Saturday's march was one of several over the past week in the city organized by liberal groups like the Free D.C. Project. There were more protests by Democrats on Saturday elsewhere in the country, including Austin, Texas, New York and Chicago. They rallied against a redistricting proposal in Texas designed to deliver Republicans five extra congressional seats. Eric Lee and Anushka Patil contributed reporting from Washington.
New York Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
For a Few Hours, a Party Drowns Out the Tensions in D.C.
In Dupont Circle, hundreds of protesters shouted their dissent over President Trump's D.C. crackdown. But across town at Fort Dupont Park, voices rejoiced in a call-and-response, and the pride of a community kept the city's conflict at bay, at least for a few hours. On a sweltering afternoon, thousands of people at Fort Dupont turned out for the annual celebration of local legend Chuck Brown, the creator and godfather of Go-Go music, a variant of funk. The rhythm of congas and guitars filled the air. Families sat in lawn chairs along the small hill next to the stage. Elders clapped softly to the beat as the live band hit its stride. And energetic dancers let the music take them away. Ronald Meton, founder and chief executive of the Go-Go museum and cafe in Washington, is also a longtime advocate against violence in the city. And he said Saturday's concert was perfect for the moment. 'Right now, what we need in our city is love and order, not necessarily law and order,' he said. The National Guard was nowhere to be found. There were no tactical vests or armored trucks. Only Park Police, directing traffic, strolling through the crowd and helping organizers. For one afternoon, Fort Dupont became a haven for music-lovers in the capital: a zone immune to the city's anxieties, a place where sound was not contested but embraced. Each year, about 8,000 people show up to celebrate throughout the day, according to park officials. Go-Go has always been about participation, about feeling free, about the rhythm pulling in whoever cares to join, Mr. Meton said. He said Washington has its share of problems like any other major city. But he stressed that they need to be handled with balance and care, not abrasiveness. Thennie Freeman, who oversees Washington's Department of Parks and Recreation, walked through the event, greeting families and familiar faces. She looked out at the gathering and spoke of what green space can mean to the city. Parks, she said, are where agendas fall away, where the city can exhale. On this day, the only purpose was to honor the legacy of Mr. Brown, who died in 2012, whose voice once carried across these very grounds. 'Love is in the atmosphere,' Ms. Freeman said. 'You can feel it walking through.' As the notes continued to drift into the humid evening, the crowd danced on, reluctant to let the music's spell break. In one spot at least, Washington, steady and unshaken, moved to its own beat. Alyce McFadden contributed reporting.
New York Times
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Protesters Against National Guard Deployment Flood D.C. Streets
Scores of demonstrators took to the streets of Washington on an oppressively hot and humid Saturday to protest the Trump administration's deployment of National Guard troops. Hundreds gathered at Dupont Circle for a march through Washington to protest the deployment, which the Trump administration has claimed was meant to clamp down on crime and homelessness in the city. Many of the demonstrators dismissed that pretext and said the National Guard deployment was an abuse of power. An activist group called Refuse Fascism led the demonstrators as they marched down Connecticut Avenue to the National Mall, filling the road and blocking traffic. Many were wearing bright orange bandannas and holding signs with slogans, including 'Trump Must Go Now' and 'No ICE! No National Guard!' Metropolitan Police officers on bicycles looked on from afar as the group marched in what was a largely peaceful, upbeat protest. Marchers sang, danced and blew brightly colored whistles. One blasted music — by D.C.-based artists only — from a portable speaker. The crowd chanted and cheered at drivers who honked in support. Many marchers were residents of Washington and its suburbs, and they said they showed up to to defend of the region they call home. Robin Galbraith, 61, said she hoped the current moment would underscore the need for statehood in the District of Columbia. She said that, too often, federal lawmakers, particularly Republicans, have used the district as a pawn 'for their own agenda.' 'Trump is attacking my city to distract from everything that's going bad in his administration,' said Ms. Galbraith, a retired schoolteacher who has lived in the area all her life. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Associated Press
a day ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Photos of ‘Free D.C.' protest against Trump's federal takeover of Washington police
WASHINGTON (AP) — A protest against Trump administration's effort to overhaul policing in the District of Columbia drew scores to Dupont Circle before a march to the White House. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Photos of ‘Free D.C.' protest against Trump's federal takeover of Washington police
A protest against Trump administration's effort to overhaul policing in the District of Columbia drew scores to Dupont Circle before a march to the White House.
