Georgetown University students joined thousands of demonstrators at the “We Are All D.C.” national march in Washington, D.C., Sept. 6, to condemn the deployment of the National Guard to the city by President Donald Trump.
Over 50 Georgetown students attended the protest, including members of the Georgetown University College Democrats (GUCD) and the student chapter of Free D.C., a local group advocating for D.C. statehood and self-governance. The protest was the first major mobilization since the federal government assumed control of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Aug. 11 and deployed 2,200 National Guard troops to the District in response to an alleged uptick in crime.
Dhruv Shah (SFS ’26), a co-chair of GUCD who attended the protest, said Georgetown students have an obligation to the greater D.C. community to challenge the government’s actions.
“At the end of the day, Georgetown students chose to be in D.C. for four years or more, or less,” Shah told The Hoya. “We are part of the community. I think it’s pretty clear that Georgetown and Georgetown students aren’t the ones who are directly impacted, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t use our positions and voice to support our neighbors.”
The march began at Malcolm X (Meridian Hill) Park and ended two miles south at Freedom Plaza. Protestors chanted slogans such as “Protect D.C. home rule,” “End the federal occupation” and “Trump must go now.”
Claire Auslander (SOH ’26), who attended the protest, said the thousands of protesters inspired a sense of unity.
“It was important to see that I wasn’t the only one who felt this way, and being around so many other people who also felt similarly frustrated about what was happening in D.C. was really great to see,” Auslander told The Hoya.
Trump falsely claimed in August that violent crime rates in D.C. were increasing, which he used to justify the federalization of the city’s police. MPD officials noted in a January 2025 announcement that the District’s 2024 violent crime rate had decreased 35% compared to 2023, a 30-year all-time low.
Many D.C. residents have denounced Trump’s crackdown on crime as authoritarian, though others have pointed to reported decreases in crime rates since MPD’s federalization as evidence of the federal government’s success.
Zadie Weaver (CAS ’28), who attended the protest, said Trump’s actions are an encroachment on the District’s residents and rights to local governance, which inspired her to attend the protest.
“He’s overriding the Democratic leadership in the city,” Weaver told The Hoya. “It’s a blatant show of force without any policy to actually back it up, without any actual care for the people — just to say, ‘I’m here and I’m strong and I have control over you guys. Frankly, I don’t think we need it.”
Free D.C. has organized multiple smaller protests throughout the District since the federal government assumed control of MPD. Saturday’s protest attracted significantly more demonstrators, with estimates placing the number of protesters as high as 10,000.
Emma Vonder Haar (CAS ’26), professional development director of GUCD, who attended the protest, said the increase in police activity and the presence of National Guard troops have fomented fear in local communities, particularly in Columbia Heights, where she lived this summer.
“Seeing the National Guard, seeing all these people in my neighborhood, walking around and creating fear, sowing fear among my neighbors, is really upsetting to see,” Vonder Haar told The Hoya.
Braden Beckett (CAS ’29), who attended the protest, said he felt compelled to attend the protest out of concern that other cities in the United States may be subjected to similar actions by the government.
“Everything going on with the occupation and the federalization of the police department is very infuriating,” Beckett told The Hoya. “As someone from Appalachia, we’re told we shouldn’t care about stuff like this, but it just shows that what’s happening in D.C. can happen anywhere in the country.”
The specific law allowing federalization of the MPD applies only to D.C. due to the District’s unique status in federal law, and Trump is able to deploy the D.C. National Guard at will thanks to his role as its commander-in-chief. However, Trump has threatened to send the National Guard to Chicago, Baltimore and New Orleans, which requires him to seek the approval of the state governor.
Auslander said she was heartened to see many different kinds of organizations and people present, including faith groups and labor unions.
“I thought it was important to see that teachers are feeling this way, health care workers are feeling this way, faith leaders are feeling this way,” Auslander said. “A lot of the anchors of our community organized and wanted to show that they also disagreed with the federalization/national guard being in D.C.”
Carleigh Heckel (CAS ’27), a member of Georgetown’s chapter of Free D.C. who attended the protest, said National Guard troops in the city make her feel unsafe.
“I don’t want to be walking down M Street and see armed soldiers,” Heckel told The Hoya. “I don’t want to go to the National Mall and see armed soldiers. That is not something that makes me feel safe. That is something that, in fact, makes me feel unsafe.”
Shah said he was glad to see Georgetown students hopeful and engaged with the broader D.C. community.
“It’s a great feeling to see that there are a lot of kids at Georgetown who care about their community, care about what’s going on in D.C. are politically and civically engaged, because that’s one of the fears under the Trump administration, people lose hope,” Shah said. “I think people showing up today means that people aren’t losing hope and are continuing to fight.”
