WASHINGTON — A swell of marchers took to the streets in downtown D.C. to show solidarity with victims of this past weekend’s violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Marchers also vowed to resist hate, bigotry and inequality.
Hundreds of protests were staged across the country from Seattle to New York after demonstrations turned violent in Charlottesville.
In the District, the protest started as a rally in Lafayette Park in front of the White House. It then morphed into a march down Pennsylvania Avenue toward the statue of a Confederate general.
On the way to the statue of Albert Pike, a Confederate general, demonstrators stopped in front of the Trump International Hotel shouting “shame, shame, shame” to protest what some say was Trump’s lack of a firm or specific enough response to Saturday’s violence in Charlottesville.
After a few minutes the crowd continued to the Pike statue where marchers turned into candle bearers who paused to remember other resisters in Charlottesville.
A couple from Las Vegas told WTOP they were in town for vacation, but saw the march and decided to join in.
“It’s for a good cause,” said Greg Gomez. “We all have to learn to live together. I don’t know why that’s so hard to figure out.”
His wife Lynn said what happened in Charlottesville is disgraceful.
“I don’t know what it’s going to take to change some people’s point of view,” she said.
She said their impromptu decision to join the march was the best part of their trip.
