Thousands protest Trump taking over policing of US capital
text_fields
Washington: Thousands of protesters marched across Washington, DC, on Saturday in one of the largest demonstrations against President Donald Trump's federal takeover of policing in the nation's capital, the Associated Press reported.
Behind a bright red banner reading “END THE DC 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 DC's streets.
The “We Are All DC” protest — put together by local advocates of Home Rule and the American Civil Liberties Union — was perhaps the most organised demonstration yet against Trump's federal intervention in Washington.
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 DC 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.
The presence of armed military officers in the streets has put Washington on edge and spurred weeks of demonstrations, particularly in DC neighbourhoods. Trump's emergency declaration to take charge of the DC police is set to expire on Wednesday.
Mark Fitzpatrick, a former US diplomat who has been a DC resident for around a decade, told The Associated Press on Saturday that he's worried about the “authoritarian nature” in which the administration is treating DC.
