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Hundreds rallied in Washington against President Trump's federal takeover of policing and deployment of Guard troops. Protesters vowed continued resistance, as West Virginia pledged troops and Vermont refused the request.
Protesters rally in Washington, DC against Trump’s decision to federalise the DC police force (Photo:Fox 5 Washinton DC)
UPDATED: Aug 17, 2025 07:10 IST
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Washington, DC, on Saturday to protest President Trump’s attempt to take control of the city’s police department and his deployment of Guard units alongside federal agents.
The rally began in DuPont Circle, where protesters chanted “Shame” and “Trump must go now!” while demanding an end to the “crime emergency” Trump declared in an executive order earlier this week. Marchers then moved toward the White House, continuing their chants as DC Metropolitan Police and Park Service officers watched from a distance.
The protest came two days after Attorney General Pam Bondi tried to appoint Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terry Cole as an “emergency police commissioner” with full operational control of DC police. The administration dropped the plan Friday after DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a federal lawsuit.
“The hostile takeover of our police force is not going to happen — a very important win for home rule today,” Schwalb told reporters.
Still, many demonstrators said Saturday’s lawsuit victory was only a partial step, with concerns mounting over Trump’s growing influence on DC policing and the presence of Guard troops.
“I think he doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” said DC resident John Smith. “I’m a little old white man and I walk around safely all the time.”
Sam Goldman, a spokesperson for Refuse Fascism, which helped organise the march, urged wider public resistance. “We have to turn the tide. We have to wake up all the decent people in this country, including in Washington, DC,” Goldman told NPR. “Millions and millions in our bones hate everything that Trump and MAGA represent, everything they’ve done and everything they’re doing.”
Goldman said her group is planning more demonstrations in Washington in the coming weeks.
The White House is yet to comment on the same.
Meanwhile, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Saturday that he will send 300 to 400 Guard troops to Washington in support of Trump’s crackdown. Earlier in the week, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, also a Republican, rejected a similar request for his state’s Guard forces.
- Ends
With inputs from agencies
Published By:
Ishita Bajpai
Published On:
Aug 17, 2025
