Thousands of protesters marched in Washington, D.C., in one of the largest demonstrations against President Donald Trump's decision to take control of the capital's police force.
The protest, called "We Are All DC," was organized by local activists and the ACLU. Carrying a large red banner that read "END THE DC OCCUPATION," the protesters marched more than 2 miles from Meridian Hill Park to Freedom Plaza, near the White House. Trump has launched what he calls a war on crime and insecurity, but local authorities say violent crime is lower than in his first term. The presence of armed soldiers has fueled anger among residents.
Former US diplomat Mark Fitzpatrick told the Associated Press that the situation is being handled in an "authoritarian" manner and that for the citizens of Washington, who have no representation in Congress, this constitutes another injustice:
“We are at the mercy of a dictator, a dictator in the making!”
As protests erupted, Trump continued his threats to send federal troops to Chicago, comparing the city to a “war zone.” But official data shows the opposite: in the first half of the year, gun violence has fallen sharply; shootings were down 37%, homicides down 32%, and violent crime down over 22%.
