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By Adeola Adeosun
Weekend Night Editor
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Hundreds of Washington, D.C. residents gathered in Dupont Circle on Saturday to protest the President Donald Trump's federal takeover of local policing, marching 1.5 miles to the White House behind banners reading "No fascist takeover of D.C." and "No military occupation."
The protest was organized by Refuse Fascism, a nationwide coalition of people from many different backgrounds and perspectives to mobilize nonviolent mass resistance against the Trump administration.
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Why It Matters
Trump's intervention represents an unprecedented federal overreach into local governance of the District of Columbia, using emergency powers to justify what city officials and protesters view as a political power play.
The move signals a broader federal approach to urban crime policy that could extend to other cities, particularly concerning given that violent crime in D.C. is currently lower than during Trump's first presidential term.
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What To Know
The demonstration comes as three states—West Virginia, South Carolina, and Ohio—announced they would deploy hundreds of additional National Guard troops to the nation's capital, adding to the approximately 800 D.C. National Guard members already activated under Trump's executive order federalizing local police forces.
Federal agents have appeared in high-traffic neighborhoods throughout the city, while National Guard members patrol landmarks like the National Mall and Union Station. The administration initially attempted to place the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as an "emergency police commissioner," but reversed course Friday after the district's top lawyer filed a lawsuit.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has since directed the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement regardless of city law.
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What People Are Saying
A White House spokesperson told Newsweek on Saturday: "As part of President Trump's ongoing effort to make DC safe and beautiful, additional National Guard troops will be called in to Washington DC – the National Guard's role has not changed. The National Guard will protect federal assets, create a safe environment for law enforcement officials to carry out their duties when required, and provide a visible presence to deter crime."
Refuse Fascism statement reads in part: "Fascism is not a looming threat. It is upon us now. Humanity's only hope is for the decent people of this country to rise in our millions. We cannot wait for future and rigged elections. We must drive the Trump Fascist Regime from power. Beginning November 5, the one-year anniversary of Trump's election, flood DC in nonviolent protest. Surround the White House. Surround the Capitol. Surround the illegitimate fascist-packed Supreme Court. Come back again and again. Across the country, refuse to comply. Every person of conscience, millions of us together, grind the machinery of the fascist regime to a halt. Don't stop until Trump is removed."
"The Trump Fascist Regime is illegitimate. What it is demanding we become is unconscionable. At every level of society, in every institution, tens of millions of us know this in our bones. If we dare, we can defeat a horror that threatens humanity's very survival. If we fail to even try, future generations — if they exist — will never forgive us."
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What Happens Next?
Legal challenges to the federal takeover may continue as city officials navigate the complex requirements of cooperating with federal mandates while preserving local democratic processes.
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Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
Update 8/17/25, 1:06 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and a correction on the organizer of the protest.
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