Nov 5

Nov 5 Refuse Fascism

Demonstrations, Donald Trump, Performances, Protest, Public Declarations, Signs and Posters, The Age of Trump

While speaking with a woman who identifies as a RevComm (Revolutionary Communist) two months ago at a demonstration in Chicago, I learned that a rally and march were planned for Washington D.C. to commemorate the November 5, 2024 election that returned Donald J. Trump to the White House. The word “commemorate” is not a synonym for the word “celebration.” The Far Left would be sitting shiva for the United States of America; not celebrating Trump’s return. According to the woman, people from around the country would be making the journey to D.C.

I was skeptical. Given that this demonstration was organized by members of the Far Left, I knew the demonstration wouldn’t draw hundreds of thousands of people. At most, 5,000 to 10,000 people, largely from the East Coast. I would have skipped it, but I was going to be in New York City for the Annual Village Halloween Parade five days before the D.C. demonstration, so I decided to take Amtrak’s Acela Express from NYC to D.C. on Tuesday morning, permitting me to first check out the National Guard stationed on the National Mall Tuesday afternoon and then to photograph Wednesday’s festivities.

My assumptions proved correct. During the march that followed the rally, I said to one photographer, “What do you think? Maybe 1,500 demonstrators.” “Lower,” was his response. Looking at my images later, I my estimated number dropped significantly: somewhere between 500 and 1,000, with 1,000 being generous.

Readers might wonder why I characterize the demonstrators as members of the Far Left. The presence of the RevComms is a pretty good clue, but the other tell was who didn’t speak. Trump may view Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as the “lunatic left,” but members of Congress shy away from demonstrations organized by the Far Left. No politicians of note spoke during the rally. Better to play it safe than jeopardize your chances for higher office by associating with people who might come back to haunt you.

The media was largely a no-show. Aside from a German television crew, I saw no video cameras. Later in that night, I turned on CNN and MSNBC (soon to be retitled MSNOW). Absolutely no mention of the demonstration. Nor could I find a reference to the demonstration in the New York Times or the Washington Post.

Despite the lackluster turnout, this was one of the better demonstrations I have attended. The chants were the same, as were the speeches, although a bit more incendiary given presence of the Far Left. Those who did show up were far more passionate in their opposition to Trump than the suburbanites and urban professionals who take to the streets every six months or so.

Some took their cue from those in Portland, Oregon who refused to be intimidated by Trump’s threats, comically defying Trump by dressing as frogs, chickens, and bananas. Several Donald J. Trumps put in appearances, including one in diapers and gold-colored flesh.

Those demonstrators who came just as themselves often carried catchy signage. I particularly liked the group that brought an ANTIFA Registration trolly, going so far as to outline the the benefits that come with membership in the non-existent organization. And of course, there was Nadine, a seasoned organizer and demonstrator who dressed as a frog while carrying her signature bed sheet strung between two metal poles. Across her belly, she had scrawled the phrase, “AMPHIFA.” I first met her at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Since then, I have run into her six or seven times. She is regularly pictured on the front pages of the New York Times and Washington Post.

Somebody must have been listening to me. In addition to the speeches, Waking Stones and Outernational performed sang songs and led chants. Both bands took their inspiration from heavy metal and rap, so they added some volume and energy to the rally. During the march, a ragtag group of musicians were interspersed among the marchers. The instrumentation included an accordion, a tuba, and a trumpet. While I appreciated the effort, the outfit never gelled as a unit.

I had wondered whether Trump’s National Guard forces stationed on the National Mall might impede the rally or march. No guard members were anywhere in sight, evidence that the deployment of the guard was performative rather than designed to curb largely non-existent criminal activity on the Mall. Nobody was going to be shot in the legs today. And why should they be? Contrary to Trump’s characterization of the Far Left as violent, the people who turned out today were orderly, peaceful, and friendly. Perfect ladies and gentlemen, unlike the hoards of Trump supporters who attacked the Capitol on January 6th.

Interestingly, as I was walking to the march, I saw three trucks with large video panels in the vicinity of the National Mall. One was parked near the rally site. All three displayed video advertisements seeking recruits for the U.S. Border Patrol. I assume Trump or one of his minions in the Department of Homeland Security decided to troll the demonstrators. Nice to see our tax dollars being used for political purposes. A Hatch Act violation? Well, it doesn’t matter because Attorney General Bondi isn’t going to prosecute anyone on Team Trump.

When it began, the marchers first headed from the National Mall to Constitution Avenue. They turned east, marching to the U.S. Supreme Court. The march proved to be the day’s highlight because the demonstrators stopped at strategic points along the way, including the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

At the Department of Justice, the demonstrators faced the building’s entrance, screaming obscenities at Attorney General Pam Bondi. I heard one demonstrator throw down the “C” word, but plenty of others joined in, directing angry, profanity-laced phrases at Bondi through bullhorns. Given that today was a workday, Bondi might actually have heard the ruckus.

Several months ago, U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer decided to extend her obsequious praise of Trump during cabinet meetings to the Department of Labor (“DOL”) by draping a large banner emblazoned with “Our Dear Leader’s” portrait from the roof DOL’s headquarters. Today, the marchers all wanted to pose in front of the DOL, with the banner in the background. Quite the photo op, particularly when the images are uploaded to Instagram. I saw a number of middle fingers pointing in the direction of the banner.

From the DOL’s headquarters, the demonstrators made their way up Capitol Hill, stopping in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to call out the conservative justices who have blessed so many of Trump’s actions on an expedited basis without issuing written opinions explaining the decisions.

Several demonstrators pleaded with the Supreme Court police, hoping to cajole them into joining the demonstrators by leaping over the bicycle rack barricades at the foot of the Court’s majestic steps. These demonstrators are very naive. The men standing watch may have opinions, but they are just doing a job.

As I watched the proceedings, several officers headed into the crowd. Eventually I saw them walking with a man clad in a blue t-shirt displaying the phrase of the day, “Fuck Trump.” I didn’t see any handcuffs, but the officers and the man walked toward the north end of the court, where they then headed behind the bicycle rack barricades. The officers appeared to be questioning the man.

The demonstrators headed east, which puzzled me. I had planned to head to the White House, where I had assumed the march would end. Turns out the marchers were headed to Stanton Park for more speeches. I later learned that the White House was not on today’s agenda, which strikes me as just plain stupid. If the demonstrators were serious about removing Donald J. Trump from office, why wouldn’t the march culminate in Lafayette Park across from the White House?

As I headed down Capitol Hill, the man who had been questioned by the Supreme Court Police was also headed down the hill, accompanied by several bicycle cops. At the bottom of the hill, the officers departed. At that point, I approached the man, asking him what had transpired. Turns out, the man is a retired police officer who attends anti-Trump demonstrations. To protect himself from potential threats, he carries a concealed weapon with him, which he is licensed to carry. If I understood him correctly, he knew that he could not bring a weapon into the Capitol, but he didn’t realize that weapons are prohibited on Capitol Hill.

Looking at some photographs that included the man, I couldn’t tell how the police even knew he was carrying a concealed weapon, but I don’t have their training. In any event, I assume that as they were questioning him, someone verified his identity as a retired police officer. I don’t know whether they gave him the his gun back, but I suspect so, which would explain why the officers accompanied him to the foot of Capitol Hill. I found him to be both friendly and creditable.

As I continued toward the White House, I spoke with a fellow photographer, who told me that the marchers would not be stopping by the White House. As I said, a stupid logistical decision.

[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]