Tag: protests

Faith community takes center stage as thousands again gather for 10th day of protests in D.C.

Washington Post logoAcknowledging that their voice had been missing, the Washington region’s faith community stood front and center Sunday as thousands of protesters again converged in the nation’s capital in the 10th straight day of protests against racism and police brutality.

After Saturday’s demonstration in the District drew more than 10,000 participants — the biggest crowd since protests in the city began May 29 — Sunday brought still more peaceful mass gatherings, underscored by the presence of Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) marching outside the Capitol as people around him chanted, “Do justice! Do justice!”

Asked why he was there, Romney, the first GOP senator to attend the protests that have been disparaged by President Trump and several other members of his party, embraced the week’s mantra, saying he wants to find “a way to end violence and brutality and to make sure that people understand that black lives matter.” Continue reading.

Thousands gathered across city to protest death of George Floyd

Washington Post logoThousands of demonstrators streamed into the nation’s capital on Saturday, in the largest local protests so far over police brutality and racial oppression in the United States. On a hot and humid day, people carrying protest signs marched, many with their children, toward the area around the besieged White House, where authorities used tan military Humvees and dump trucks to cordon off large sections to vehicle traffic.

Here are some significant developments:

• Organizers with Black Lives Matter in the District painted “Defund the Police” on 16th Street NW near the section in front of the White House that D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) renamed “Black Lives Matter Plaza” a day earlier. Continue reading.

New data shows a sharp increase in U.S. protest activity in April

The following article by Erica Chenoweth, Evan Perkoski, Jeremy Pressman and Ches Thurber was posted on the Washington Post website May 22, 2017:

Thousands gather on the Mall in Washington for the March for Science on April 22, Earth Day. Activists and scientists descended on the nation’s capital to rally for environmental causes and government policies rooted in scientific research. Marches for Science were held worldwide. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

This is the fourth installment in a monthly series reporting on political crowds in the United States. Each month the Crowd Counting Consortium will post updates about trends and patterns from the previous month as recorded by our volunteers. (For our counting methods, please see our first post in the series.)

For April 2017, we tallied 950 protests, demonstrations, marches, sit-ins and rallies in the United States, with at least one in every state and the District. Our conservative guess is that between 637,198 and 1,181,887 people showed up at these political gatherings, although it is likely that there were far more participants. Because the media often do not report nonviolent actions — especially small ones — it is probable that we did not record every event that took place. Continue reading “New data shows a sharp increase in U.S. protest activity in April”

Protests Against Trump’s Policies Erupt for Third Weekend in Cities Large and Small

The following article by Safia Samee Ali was posted on the NBC News website February 5, 2017:

While protests against President Donald Trump’s administration have drawn thousands of people to major cities across the country, not to be overlooked are rallies in smaller cities, many taking place in states that supported Trump in the election.

Hundreds in Kalamazoo, Michigan, chanted “Say it loud and say it clear, refugees are welcome here!” during a protest supporting refugee and immigrant rights on Sunday. Continue reading “Protests Against Trump’s Policies Erupt for Third Weekend in Cities Large and Small”