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Residents are also organizing to help protect those who are most vulnerable ─ the youth, immigrants, people of color and the homeless.
WASHINGTON — As a federal law enforcement surge continues in the nation’s capital, demonstrators returned to the streets Saturday, demanding an end to what they call an overreach by President Donald Trump’s administration.
Community members and activists gathered once again at 14th and U Streets in Northwest D.C., saying the demonstrations will not stop until the federal government steps back.
“No matter what you do, you’re not going to win. You’re not going to defeat us,” said Kristen Bonner, an organizer with the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.
Despite it being the weekend, protesters say they are committed to showing up daily, emphasizing that consistency is key to making their message clear.
“Let D.C. run D.C.,” said Debra Mallory, a Maryland resident who traveled to the District to participate. “The president does not need to get involved in this.”
Organizers and participants say they are protesting both the increased federal presence and concerns about local policing. The protests come as federal agencies ramp up patrols in parts of the city, including Southeast D.C., where community members reported a visible law enforcement presence Friday.
Activist Leslie Redmond was among those raising concerns about the disparities in policing across neighborhoods.
“The police were swarming in — it was a very targeted environment,” she said of the scene in Southeast. “However, when I went to my mom’s house on Capitol Hill, you could hear crickets.”
Redmond and the group Guns Down Friday are also leading “Know Your Rights” sessions in Southeast D.C. to educate teens about how to interact with law enforcement. She says the sessions are especially important given what she views as over-policing in marginalized communities.
“They’ll use the crime and exploit our pain as a way to come in and target our communities,” Redmond said. “Then you think about our immigrant communities, our homeless communities — all these communities who have historically not been taken care of.”
For Bonner, the protests are about unity and safety.
“We have to show them that they are not alone — they don’t fight in isolation,” she said. “We fight together. That’s the only way we’re going to win. And that’s the only way we’re going to keep each other safe.”
Despite not living in the District, Mallory said she feels a deep responsibility to take part.
“This is one thing I can do — just show up,” she said. “I’m really afraid with what’s going on, in many, many different ways.”
As protests continue, officials have reinstated a weekend youth curfew in the area. Some demonstrators say they’ll continue to act as observers on what they call “cop watch,” to monitor police interactions and protect community rights.
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