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Marissa J. Lang

14 Nov, 24 tweets, 15 min read

I’m in downtown #DC. The streets around the White House are full of people w/ Trump flags, Texas flags, “come and take” my guns flags, thin blue line flags & more. Chants of “four more years” echo from Freedom Plaza. A man on a bike rode past shouting, “No more Nazis!” #dcprotest

Outside SCOTUS, a large crowd of Trump supporters have arrived, surrounding local antifascist protesters on three sides with flags. The police are standing in between as Trump supporters chant “fuck Antifa” and the black-clad counterprotesters shout: “You lost!” #dcprotests

Frendship Heights resident & #DC protester Justin, 37, in the “Officer Pudge” outfit, says he was marching with the MAGA crowd to mock them — but no one really got it. He started a chant: “Only count Trump votes” and waved his sign to cheers. “It’s crazy,” he told me. #dcprotests

Riot cops line up outside the Supreme Court, facing their shields toward the relatively small counterprotest as thousands of Trump supporters continue to fill the street. Lost Trump supporters keep wandering over as antifascists yell “Turn around!” #DCProtests

The Proud Boys arrived at the Supreme Court rally, as police scrambled to keep them back. After I took this, officers cleared the entire area on the other side of the fence opposite where Proud Boys and supporters had gathered. #DCProtests

Snippets of speeches happening near SCOTUS steps keep floating over the crowd. “This is not a democracy,” I just heard a speaker say. “It is a republic of states.”

Here, protesters w/ shields have lined up to face riot police as the Trump crowd continues to churn. #dcprotest

Antifascist and anti-Trump protesters are on the move after hours of being locked in a confrontation with Trump supporters at the Supreme Court. Not sure where they’re headed, walking toward Mass Ave. now. #dcprotest

A Trump supporter stood in the middle of 2nd St NE waving a Trump 2020 flag as passing protesters pushed and prodded it. One demonstrator grabbed the fabric, trying to pull it down.

“Cowards, you’re all cowards,” shouted a man in a red Make America Great Again hat. #DCprotests

As the group turned onto Mass Ave, a giant Biden Harris flag appeared in an apt window above.
It bobbed and danced to the beat of their chant. The crowd called out as more onlookers appeared in windows and on balconies: “Out of your homes & into the street!” None obliged. #DC

This group of protesters has been taunting Trump supporters as they pass. This woman has been walking alongside them for a while holding up her “Jesus saves” sign as demonstrators called out to her: “Jesus would vote Democrat!” “Black Jesus matters!” #dcprotest

Back at Black Lives Matter Plaza, as Trump supporters are trying to push through the crowd as protesters jeer and chant at them to leave. Small confrontations so far, with a couple MAGA hats and Trump flags snatched off of departing Trump supporters. #DCprotest

Those snatched Trump items? Yeah, they set them on fire. #DCprotest

This scene keeps repeating: Trump supporter walks through crowd, they get heckled & jeered. Someone tries to take a hat or a flag or a sign to add to a growing pile of burning items. Then they push back & a scuffle breaks out. Police then pull the Trump folks behind the line. #DC

Large roving crowd of Trump supporters, Proud Boys among them, are roving around downtown #DC. They’re chanting: “Whose streets? Our streets!” A number came from Harry’s — their go-to bar in town. Police are out in riot gear. #DCprotest

This group — w/ Proud Boys in the yellow & black — is trying to march to BLM Plaza, as police in riot gear walk along side them. Officers have shut down the street at H and Vermont, not allowing them to pass. But as they march up together, it really looks like a police escort.

Angered by the police line at BLM, this group is on the move again. A line of bike cops is trailing close behind as we pass the White House. #DCProtests

An observation: You can smell the liquor in this crowd. And I am wearing two masks.

They’re on the move again after a alcohol-soaked stop on Pennsylvania Ave. I’m not sure where they’re going or if they know. Walking past the Museum of African American History and Culture now. Pro-Trump crowd is again chanting “whose streets? Our streets!” #DCProtests

Figured out where they’re going. #DC #DCProtests

Around the monument and chanting “four more years,” this group also switched to “whose monument, our monument!” as they marched up. Some fawning happening around the Proud Boys as a man calls out, “I love you guys.” A dude in gold & black says, “Well the Proud Boys love you!” #DC

Overheard two men in Proud Boy colors saying “the plan right now is to draw antifa over here.” Lots of talk about “antifa” out here.

A new chant now: “Good job, Kyle!” In an apparent reference to Kyle Rittenhouse, accused of fatally shooting 2 people at a protest in Kenosha, WI.

They’re on the move again, walking up past the Ellipse. Another riff on a common chant I’ve heard out here is “A-C-A-B! All commies are bastards!” #DCProtests

I’m out of downtown after a 12-hour day and more than 11-miles of chasing protests around #DC, but please read our coverage from today — including news that a man in his 20s was stabbed in the back around 8 pm and hospitalized with serious injuries. washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2020/…

@PeteJamison

For updates from the still-roaming Proud Boys contingent, follow my stalwart colleagues who remain in tow: @PeteJamison @MikeMillerDC @justinwmmoyer #DCProtests

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More from @Marissa_Jae

Marissa J. Lang

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12 Oct

Out in front of the Supreme Court, where protesters are gathering to oppose the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who will face the first day of confirmation hearings today in the Senate. Many are in plastic coveralls, masks and gloves — a nod to the still-raging pandemic.

It’s a small crowd, about 50 people now, as they begin to chant: “No covid test, no hearing!” #DCProtests #SCOTUS

As the group heads toward the Hart Senate Office Building, they pressed through a crowd of anti-abortion demonstrators out here to support Barrett. Chants of “no confirmation until inauguration” mingled with chants of “hey hey, ho ho, Roe v. Wade has got to go!” #SCOTUS

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30 Jul

“Black lives matter!” the crowd is chanting in unison in front of the Justice Center in downtown #Portland. This even after Gov. Brown announced earlier today that the feds might be leaving town — and the crowd keeps coming. #PDXprotests

Back in the 1990s, #Portland earned the nickname “Little Beirut” after protests erupted in the city every time George H.W. Bush came to visit. Today, faced with a different Republican president who has called Portland “worse than Afgananistan,” this #PDX native has this to say 👇🏽

“Hell no, we won’t go!” the crowd is chanting.

The #PortlandProtests, which erupted after the police killing of George Floyd, have been ongoing nonstop for more than 60 days straight. #PDX

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26 Jul

Back for another huge protest night in downtown #Portland, where many hundreds are apparently marching to a nearby hotel, where it is believed the federal reinforcements have been staying. #PortlandProtests #pdx

So, apparently Oregon has a protest llama named Ceasar, “the no-drama llama,” who has been to 10 #BlackLivesMatter protests before tonight. Folks in the crowd are saying “stay by the llama and we won’t get gassed!” I hope they’re right! #PortlandProtests #KeepPortlandWeird

The crowd gathered at the downtown #Portland Marriott stretches around the corner and up several blocks, wall-to-wall. As the hotel where the DHS agents are believed to be staying came into view, the crowd began to chant, “Kick them out, Marriott!” #PortlandProtest

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Marissa J. Lang

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25 Jul

Every night, the #WallofMoms gathers by the river before marching over to the Justice Center. Every night, this group has grown. This video doesn’t begin to do justice to how many ppl are here. Yellow shirted moms. Nurses in scrubs. Dads in orange. And so, so many more. #portland

Getting ready to march. There are drums, cowbells, a whole percussion section to keep the beat. And we have a new bloc in the mix tonight: Teachers. They’re wearing green. #PortlandProtests #PDX

Essence and Kia are Afro-indigenous sisters who have come out to the protests every other night with sage to cleanse the air and ground people who are angry, scared or both. They said the energy shifted once the feds arrived. It brought #Portland together against a common threat.

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23 Jul

The #PortlandMoms are back out and headed toward the Justice Center. Many have been here through tear gas and flash bangs and more. One longtime activist and mom out here said, “Hey, Trump wanted a wall. Well, look, he got a wall of moms!” #PDXprotest

Rumor has it that #Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler may come out to tonight’s demonstration. The protesters — who have been calling for police reform for months — have prepared a list of demands. It’s projected onto the side of the Justice Center, which includes the county jail. #PDX

Correction: the mayor is HERE. Surrounded by media and protesters who are not thrilled to see him. You can barely hear him over the roar of #BlackLivesMatter chants and people shouting at him to resign. A fun #Portland fact: Here, the mayor is also the police commissioner. #PDX

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Marissa J. Lang

@Marissa_Jae

4 Jul

Back out at BLM Plaza as a mix of tourists, Trump supporters and protesters mill around on this hot July 4.

The tents police cleared from H St earlier today have reappeared just feet away. Debates are breaking out, but it’s a calm atmosphere. Trump is expected to speak in 2 hrs.

Most of the interactions b/w the different sides here have been debates — like this one when Refuse Fascism activists told folks to walk on the US flag, saying it‘s a symbol of “slavery, genocide and war.” A Trump supporter asked why they need to step on the flag to make a point.

Trump’s Salute to America airshow has begun. From where I’m standing at Black Lives Matter Plaza, the response has been that of mild interest to outright distain. As Air Force 1 flew overhead, several protesters raised middle fingers and shouted down the plane. “Fuck you, Trump!”