Washington DC residents protest against Trump's troop deployment
WASHINGTON: Several thousand people marched in the US capital on Saturday (Sep 6) to demand that President Donald Trump end the deployment of National Guard troops patrolling the city’s streets.
The "We Are All D.C." march drew undocumented immigrants, pro-Palestinian activists and other groups chanting slogans and carrying signs reading "Trump must go now," "Free DC" and "Resist Tyranny."
"I'm here to protest the occupation of D.C.," said demonstrator Alex Laufer. "We're opposing the authoritarian regime, and we need to get the federal police and the National Guard off our streets."
CRIME DATA DISPUTE
Trump deployed the Guard last month to "re-establish law, order, and public safety," also placing the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and sending immigration officers into the city.
But Justice Department figures show violent crime in 2024 was at a 30-year low in Washington, which functions as a self-governing federal district under Congress. More than 2,000 Guard troops, including from six Republican-led states, are currently deployed, with their mission extended through Nov 30.
LEGAL CHALLENGE AND CHICAGO THREAT
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb has filed a lawsuit calling the deployment unconstitutional. While some residents support the Guard, many have criticised the troops’ heavy presence in downtown and tourist areas.
Trump has hinted at wider crackdowns, threatening to send federal forces to Chicago. In a social media post parodying the Vietnam War film Apocalypse Now, he wrote: "I love the smell of deportations in the morning," alongside an AI-generated image of himself in military garb.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker accused Trump of preparing an “invasion” with ICE agents and military vehicles. Chicago’s Democratic leadership has vowed to resist the move.
DIVIDED CITY RESPONSE
Mayor Muriel Bowser praised the surge of federal law enforcement but urged an end to the Guard mission soon, saying crime, including carjackings, had fallen.
"What they're trying to do in D.C. is what they're trying to do with other dictatorships," said another protester, who gave his name only as Casey. "If people tolerate it here, they're going to do it in more and more areas. So we have to stop it while we still can."
