Tens of thousands of people closed Pennsylvania Avenue and surrounding streets for hours Saturday
WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — Chants of “No Kings, no crown!” filled the streets of downtown DC.
Protesters upset with President Trump’s policies are hoping they make enough noise to be heard.
“Individually it’s hard to think you can do something to change things, but when there’s this many people, then you know that change is possible,” said Elana Pate who came to DC from Maryland Saturday.
People shut down blocks of Pennsylvania avenue and surrounding streets for hours as several speakers took the stage.
“In times like these it’s easy to feel disheartened and feel like nothing is going to be okay again, but this shows that the American people are more united than we all thought they were and that we’re all advocating for the same things here,” said Grace Crabtree.
Members of DC leadership also came out to support.
“The base of people who are deeply concerned is very, very broad,” said DC Councilmember Matthew Frumin. “There’s an effort to caricature the folks who are standing up in opposition. They can’t be caricatured. This is America.”
Pennsylvania Avenue was the protest’s main rallying point, but waves of people came from all over.
One group marched from the Arlington National Cemetery across the Arlington Memorial Bridge and through the National Mall to get there.
“250 years ago, we decided no kings, and it’s been 250 years, and I guess we have to do it again,” said Dorothy Carney from Charlottesville, Va.
The three-mile march was fueled by people’s frustrations.
“We the people do not agree with what’s going on,” said Jackie Rivas from Arlington. “We want our country back. We want a functioning democracy. This is not it.”