Protesters gathered in Northwest D.C. on Friday afternoon in response to President Donald Trump’s latest move to ramp up his federal takeover of the city’s law enforcement.
Demonstrators pushed back on the Trump administration’s order that named a federal official as the new emergency head of D.C. police.
“To me, it’s an insult to have this going on in the city,” D.C. resident John Grover told WTOP’s Jimmy Alexander. “I love my neighbors, so we’ll take care of it ourselves. We don’t need outsiders.”
They chanted, sang and marched outside D.C. police headquarters and the nearby courthouse. The rally attracted a wide variety of people, including kids and people being pushed in wheelchairs.
“Showing up and showing out is what we need to in this time,” said Kelsey Adams, one of the founders of the Free D.C. project, which organized the protest. ‘To be able to mobilize so many folks in under four hours is incredible and it speaks volumes to the fact that residents in dc are very aware of the nuances of what we’re facing right now.”
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Thursday night that Terry Cole would take on the police chief’s duties and approval authority for any orders issued to officers. Cole is the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
One protester’s sign read, “D.C. is home of go-go. But Bondi’s pick is a no go.”
Protesters told WTOP they want D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith to know the city is behind her leadership. They’re asking for the police to refuse Trump’s directive to assign Cole the chief’s duties.
The District has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s order, with D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb arguing the police takeover is an overstep and would “sow chaos” in the police department.
In a letter to Smith, Schwalb called the order “unlawful” and said there was no legal obligation to follow it.
Dozens of protesters signed a large banner that organizers described as D.C.’s “personal message” to tack onto Schwalb’s letter.
The group began to break up around 2 p.m., but organizers said the protests will continue until the order is ignored, Alexander reported.
WTOP’s Jimmy Alexander reported from the scene. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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