Protesters gather in Washington, DC, on Spetmebr 6, 2025 to raise their voices against the federal government's efforts to increase control over the city's police department. Photo: VCG

Several thousand protesters marched in Washington, DC, on Saturday to demand that the US government end the deployment of National Guard troops patrolling the capital city's streets, Reuters reported on Sunday.

AP reported Sunday that the protest across Washington on Saturday was one of the largest demonstrations against the federal takeover of policing in the country's capital.

Protesters at the "We Are All D.C." march, including undocumented immigrants and supporters of Palestinian statehood, chanted slogans and carried posters, some of which read, "Free DC," according to Reuters.

The Washington Post reported Sunday that, some protesters said in English and Spanish that "PROTECT DC HOME RULE" and "END THE FEDERAL OCCUPATION."

According to the Reuters, claiming that crime was blighting the city, White House deployed the troops last month to "re-establish law, order, and public safety." It also placed the capital district's Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control and sent federal law enforcement personnel, including members of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to police the city's streets, moves critics have decried as federal overreach, the report said.

The Washington Post, citing DC police data, reported that violent crime is down 39 percent and property crime is down 15 percent since the White House's August 11 order, compared to the same time period last year. Crime was already trending down in DC before the police department takeover, according to city data. But rates still decreased when comparing the three weeks before the August 11 order to the three weeks after, with violent crime decreasing by roughly 14 percent and property crime decreasing by roughly 22 percent, per the Washington Post report.

AP reported that the presence of armed military officers in the streets has put Washington on edge and spurred weeks of demonstrations, particularly in DC neighborhoods. The emergency declaration taking charge of DC police is set to expire on Wednesday.

Global Times