Washington DC protests bills attacking Black youth and home rule

Washington, DC – Over 100 community members, activists and organizers mobilized on September 30, in response to 14 racist bills Congress is trying to pass that strip DC of political power and attack Black youth.

This week, the Senate votes on HR 4922 – DC Crimes Act, HR 5143 – District of Columbia Juvenile Sentencing Reform Act, and HR 5125 – District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act. These bills aim to further criminalize homelessness, repeal local laws banning police from high-speed car chases, remove the ability for judges to sentence youth offenders below the mandatory minimum, lower the age of eligibility for juveniles to be tried as adults in D.C. for certain violent offenses from 16 years to 14 years of age, and so much more.

These bills are a direct attack on the gains won by the Black liberation movement in DC, and they are a frontal assault on DC autonomy.

The DC Against Trump Agenda (DCATA) Coalition organized the rally, which was endorsed by over 20 organizations, including the Washington Teachers’ Union, 50501 DC, the Black Panther Movement, CASA Staff Union, and National Action Network.

On the steps of the Supreme Court, organizations and community leaders spoke on the need to organize a fightback against the racist and reactionary Trump agenda, and more specifically, his attacks on DC.

A DC attorney with DC Lawyers Against the Trump Agenda (DCLATA) read an open letter authored by that group, stating, “As members of the Bar tasked to uphold and protect the Constitution, we urge you to vote NO on the 14 bills that comprise this package. This package is a sweeping federal intervention that will remove authority from DC elected officials.”

Terra Martin, mother of Dalaneo Martin, who was brutally murdered by U.S. Park Police in 2023, spoke on behalf of her organization, A Mother’s Love and Hug, demanding, “Justice for Dalaneo! Hands off our kids!” She went on to talk about the specific bill, HR 5143, District of Columbia Policing Protection Act, and how it would empower police to chase after Black youth in dangerous high-speed pursuits. She brought up the case of Karon Hylton-Brown, a Black 20-year-old DC resident, who was killed in 2020 during a high-speed police chase.

The protesters marched towards the Capitol building to confront the congresspeople currently voting on these attacks; however, they were met by a wall of Capitol Police who refused to let the group exercise their First Amendment rights. But the organizers acted quickly and sharply, routing the march through the streets in the surrounding areas to ensure their demands were heard. They were met with applause and cheers from people walking by or in their cars. There was also a small army of federal police trying to contain the protesters.

The march ended back at the steps of the Supreme Court, where Rhonda Hamilton, a DC resident running for mayor, spoke and demanded, “Get the National Guard off our streets. They are traumatizing our children! Only cowards would mobilize the military to terrorize our communities!”

The protesters then had a moment of silence for the recent passing of Assata Shakur, a Black revolutionary hero.

Michaela Hopkins, a longtime DC resident and member of the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, concluded the action with a quote from Assata, “We need a revolution of the mind. We need a revolution of the heart. We need a revolution of the spirit. The power of the people is stronger than any weapon. A people’s revolution can’t be stopped. We need to be weapons of mass construction. Weapons of mass love. It’s not enough just to change the system. We need to change ourselves.”

Follow @dcagainsttrump on Instagram for more updates on their organizing to fight these bills and Trump’s racist occupation.

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