Residents in parts of Washington DC took to the streets Wednesday to protest President Donald Trump’s takeover of the city’s police department and the surge of federal officers and National Guard troops. The demonstrations, marked by chants and calls for drivers to avoid police checkpoints, came as the White House defended the month-long federal control as necessary to combat crime, despite city data showing violent crime at a decades-low, reported AP.
Residents rally against 24/7 presence of federal agents
Law enforcement set up a vehicle checkpoint along the busy 14th Street Northwest corridor, prompting hecklers to shout, “Go home, fascists” and “Get off our streets.” Some protesters stood before the checkpoint urging drivers to turn away.The protests followed Trump’s unprecedented announcement that his administration would take over the Metropolitan Police Department for at least a month. The city’s Democratic mayor described the move as an “authoritarian push” before later calling it a public safety measure with no clear benchmarks for success. Trump has argued that crime in the city is at “emergency levels,” while local leaders point to statistics showing violent crime at a 30-year low after a sharp rise two years ago.
Troops and federal agents patrol key areas
Federal officers and National Guard troops were deployed to more high-profile areas Wednesday, with plans for expanded missions on Thursday (local time), according to a National Guard spokesman. Homeland Security Investigations agents patrolled the U Street corridor, Drug Enforcement Administration officers were seen on the National Mall, and FBI agents were stationed along Massachusetts Avenue. DEA agents also joined city police in the Navy Yard neighborhood, while National Guard members were parked nearby.1,450 federal and local officers, on Tuesday night, patrolled the city, making 43 arrests, compared with about two dozen the night before. Councilmember Christina Henderson dismissed the arrest count as “a bunch of traffic stops” and said the administration was trying to disguise how unnecessary the intervention was. “I’m looking at this list of arrests and they sound like a normal Saturday night in any big city,” she said.
Trump defends move, signals possible extension
Federal law allows the president to control Washington’s police for up to 30 days without congressional approval. Trump suggested he could seek more time or ask Congress for authority to alter city laws. “We’re gonna do this very quickly. But we’re gonna want extensions. I don’t want to call a national emergency. If I have to, I will,” he said.Later, on Truth Social, he wrote, “DC has been under siege from thugs and killers, but now, DC is back under Federal Control where it belongs.”White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said, “President Trump is delivering on his campaign promise to clean up this city and restore American Greatness to our cherished capital.”The plan also includes clearing homeless encampments. US Park Police have removed dozens of tents since March and plan to dismantle more this week. People are offered shelter and addiction treatment, but those who refuse could be fined or jailed, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
City leaders seek clarity amid crime drop
Police Chief Pamela Smith said the Metropolitan Police Department is down nearly 800 officers and that federal reinforcements would help fill the gap. Mayor Muriel Bowser said officials were not given specific goals for the surge during a meeting with Attorney General Pam Bondi and other federal officials but shared the aim of increasing presence and removing guns from the streets. She previously called Trump’s move “unsettling and unprecedented,” while noting it was within his legal rights regarding the district.Some residents say the increased force is unnerving. “I’ve seen them right here at the subway … they had my street where I live at blocked off yesterday, actually,” Washington native Sheina Taylor said, quoted by AP. “It’s more fearful now because even though you’re a law-abiding citizen, here in D.C., you don’t know, especially because I’m African American.”
