Election night protest in Washington DC
Washington, DC – On Tuesday evening, November 5, over 200 community members, activists, and organizers flooded the streets outside of the White House, at Black Lives Matter Plaza in DC, to hold a protest of the election outcome. Slogans for the protest included “No matter who wins, the people lose!” and “No votes for genocide.”
The rally began with several chants, including some led by a member of the Palestinian Youth Movement, with calls of “Free, free Palestine,” and “Harris or Trump, you will see, genocide’s your legacy!”
Representatives from organizations spoke about their specific areas of struggle. They were followed by several personal narratives from community members’ related to the protest’s demands, including speeches on police crimes, student repression, immigrants’ rights, reproductive and LGBTQ rights, and the genocide in Palestine.
“We understand that this election is a referendum on genocide,” said Jon Abraham, a member of the FRSO DC, “We will not betray the Palestinian liberation struggle by voting for the genocider Kamala Harris, and especially not by voting for her racist and reactionary opponent, Donald Trump.”
“No matter who wins tonight, queer people lose,” said the speaker on LGBTQ rights, “That’s why our only option is to join together and struggle for something better!”
“Through Democratic and Republican administrations alike, police budgets for D.C. and other major cities are in the hundreds of millions,” said by a member of DCAARPR. Speaking on police brutality, “We pay for their jobs, and we pay for their sins. The people deserve a voice and protection outside of the state.”
The rally was organized by a coalition of organizations, led by The DC Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression (DCAARPR) and Freedom Road Socialist Organization DC (FRSO DC). It was co-sponsored by the Palestinian Youth Movement, the International League of People’s Struggles Baltimore-DMV and Pan-African Community Action. The coalition also plans to protest Trump’s inauguration on January 20.