The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. A proofread version will be made available as soon as possible.

Mansa Musa:

We at Meridian Park, also known as Malcolm X Park, where we are recovering the rally from free dc, a coalition group of all organizations in the District of Columbia that’s coming together to call for the freedom of dc. What do freedom of DC mean? It means they saying that in the federal occupation, but it means more than that. It means statehood, it means the right to self-determination. As you can see, a lot of people have come out here today to be a part of this process. What you going to see today is a textbook and organizing 1 0 1. What do you think about this movement today?

Alfonso:

Well, I think it’s very popular. There’s a lot of people, it’s across generations, across all walks of life. So I’m really hopeful.

Mansa Musa:

Right. And in terms of the connection between the DC federal occupation and what we seeing going on in Occupy Palestine, is it a connection?

Alfonso:

Well, I guess there is a connection, but it’s much worse and much more serious what’s going on in Gaza.

Mansa Musa:

And I agree 100%. Right, it’s more serious. But do you think that in terms of your presence here and the fact that I walked around, I see a lot of Palestinian flags. I see a lot of, I get out of Gaza free Palestine, so it’s obviously international, it’s obviously international connection. People are looking at from respect that none of us are free until

Alfonso:

All of us are free. Absolutely. I think we have a lot of things to protest against. So I think it’s a good moment to gather and ask for all of those things. Right.

Lydia Walther-Rodriguez:

We’re here today with over a hundred CASA members, over a dozen organizations with one simple ask to stop the militarized occupation in DC

Mansa Musa:

They using the law to say that if you are committed a crime and you are an immigrant, then they hold you to the outcome of your crime to determine whether or not they’re going to deport you. But they rounding people up saying that under the pretense they commit the crime. What do you think? Really the story is behind why they rounded?

Lydia Walther-Rodriguez:

We are seeing a time that is unprecedented to us, but a time that has repeated itself over and over again under this administration. We have seen the constitutional crisis of the injustice of this president not respecting due process. We saw it in Quin Ab Garcia’s case, and we continue to see it every time they detain our immigrant communities here in DC and Baltimore, all across the country, folks are being detained and targeted and there there’s a PR machine saying they’re criminals. But the reality is that they see black and brown people and they have already targeted us as criminals and are taking away our due process. It’s happening to, it’s happening to immigrants, it’s happening to black Baltimoreans, and it’s going to happen to all of us if we don’t put a stop to this right now.

Mansa Musa:

And I like that. I like that articulation because I want you to unpack this right here. Alright. As you said, they rounding up people under the prescience of being criminals. Do you think that the fact that they’re using their lack of citizenship status to ignore their rights as human beings,

Lydia Walther-Rodriguez:

We know there’s no dignity and there hasn’t been dignity in this country for people of color, for black Americans, for immigrants, for anybody who does not meet the white supremacist agenda, they’re just trying to use the laws that were created against us. But we have the Constitution that clearly states that we have due process and in violation of due process is where we will resist, we will fight back and we will not allow these normalized racial biases to continue to silence the voices of the struggle. And for everybody who can hear my voice, it’s going to happen in you two if you don’t rise up and stand up.

Mansa Musa:

That’s right. And we remember in time in history was called Dr. Scott decision and Dred Scott, the Supreme Court, said that Dred Scott did not have no rights that the United States was bound to respect because he was considered one third of a human being and looked like they resurrected the Dred Scott decision in terms of rounding up people, not just Latin Americans, Latinos, Hispanic, anybody that can fit the narrative. You got the last word on this

Lydia Walther-Rodriguez:

Dred Scott decision never left us. Our people have continued to suffer as black, indigenous, Latina queer. And now this system is showing its face. Are you listening? Are you seeing it because we’re seeing it through every single kidnap that’s happening every single day in the streets of DC and countrywide? This is not a phenomenon that started here, but the US occupation intervention has been piloted in Central and South America. And it has shown to us that imperialism continues and its tactics will continue on in this country too.

Susan:

There have been people we’ve talked to, there’s a whole bus from Unite here, it’s come from Philadelphia, people from New Jersey, Vermont, Florida. So I think people understand the threat. This means not just for people in DC and for the country, and I guess particularly from Pennsylvania, people from DC every election go out and canvas and do things we don’t have people to vote for. So I kind of feel like it’s paying back and appreciative of that.

Sarah:

There’s 60 of us here from Vermont because we want DC to be free. This invasion is terrible.

Mansa Musa:

Why do y’all feel like y’all had to come down here though?

Sarah:

Because if Trump does it here, he’s going to do it in the next city, in the next city, in the next city. And this is not a dictatorship. And just because most of the people in DC voted against him, he’s now pissed and he’s taking it out on them. That is not right. This is not a dictatorship. This is a country where we all vote. And if he doesn’t, people don’t like what he’s doing, they’ll vote him out and bye-bye Mr. Trump. We’re here to support the people in dc

Gelly:

We have basically changed our rhythm from focusing on climate change legislation and getting elected officials in that are for a green New deal. And we’ve shifted completely to trying to combat the administration and the oligarchy and occupation that’s happening because we can’t get anything done with them in office.

Mansa Musa:

So you think it’s a connection between climate change, immigration and free dc?

Gelly:

Absolutely. And there’s a connection between climate change and the oligarchy that’s happening right now in our government.

Mansa Musa:

Okay. So what you think about the demonstration today?

Gelly:

I think the demonstration today is beautiful. I see a lot of people out here focused on different things. We’ve got immigrants, we’ve got climate people, just everyday Americans who want to be free and don’t want to have an occupation in our streets.

Mansa Musa:

This definitely is a people’s movement?

Gelly:

Absolutely. Yeah. This is for the people, by the people.

Mansa Musa:

It’s all about the revolution…

Joe:

This is Bernie Sanders’ group, our revolution group. And why are y’all here? Well, we’re here because the country’s been taken over by a group of fascists.

Mansa Musa:

This is Malcolm X Park. At one point in time you had African Liberation Day. They rally around. They rally around here. But more importantly, the most salient demonstration and rallying point was the war in Vietnam. And it all started with small groups. And then every day

Joe:

I was in all of them

Mansa Musa:

Nationally, you see nationwide, worldwide. So you got defund genocide, free Palestine.

Lisa:

Well, I think our giving military aid to Israel is just perpetrating these attacks on Gaza and giving them the means to commit genocide and cause this starvation, this hunger problem over there. And what’s really upsetting is people are trying to get the aid we’re sending and they’re getting shot down. And I find that quite upsetting. It’s an atrocity,

Joe:

It’s a major war crime and genocide. The whole world knows it. But the good thing, except for Trump and his administration,

Jane:

A members of Congress including a lot of Democrats in Congress who won’t vote to cut off the aid.

Mansa Musa:

Why is occupation a crime?

Pomelo:

Oh, occupation is just a violation of everybody’s dignity and justice. It’s an complete abuse of power. Everything that’s happening in Palestine is going to be happening in the states and DC is the test case for what’s going to happen across the country. So it’s all intersectional. It’s being tested on Palestine. The technologies they’ve been used on Palestine ICE are now using here on DC and people are across the street. So we’re just got to protest it all.

Mansa Musa:

What do you think about today’s demonstration?

Pomelo:

It’s fantastic. I mean, obviously people have to be protesting every day in their lives, not just in one protest that we get to go on a Saturday. Everybody can do actions all day every day. But it’s amazing to be in masses of people and know that you’re not alone.

Mike:

Human rights belong to everybody. When people start taking people off the street claiming they’re illegal, they’re not only hurting that person, they’re hurting the family that they provide for, which can be a large family in the community as a whole. Even if they’re not legal citizens of the United States, they still pay taxes. They still belong here. We are the melting pot of America. Isn’t that correct? We have a statue in New York Harbor that is meant for exactly that.

Mansa Musa:

Most people just won’t be treated as human beings.

Mike:

That’s correct. Why can’t everybody just be treated like human beings? There’s a lot of people out there that are intimidated of large groups of people or people they don’t know or understand instead of loving them.

Mansa Musa:

Why are you here today?

Yuri:

Well, I’m an immigrant and I don’t feel like we are being treated fairly. We are here to work, to be part of America and support the American dream, and that way that we’re being treated is just unfair. So I’m here to protest.

Mansa Musa:

Bottom line. You here to do the same thing his father did, came here to find a place to live and get living conditions and you’re no different. You’re not an immigrant. You’re a human being.

Yuri:

Thank you. I appreciate that.

Mansa Musa:

Yeah. Talk about your sign.

“Freedom Fighter”:

My sign indicates today that our president can go into the White House, he could exercise his writer free speech. I’m doing the same. I’m keeping it in plain text English. Let’s impeach this bitch. What’s happening in our world is not okay. What’s happening in Palestine is not okay. And we as a people have come together today to stand for justice, for unity and to take back our streets. I think that this is what DC is. It is collective unity. It’s love, it’s peace, and it’s coming together on the streets and letting our voices be heard. So this is what this represents and this is beautiful.

Mansa Musa:

And talk about what you think the takeaway going to be today. For most people,

“Freedom Fighter”:

The takeaway for most people today is going to say, listen, we are here. We’re loud. We’re in color. We’re letting our voices be heard. And enough is enough, right? We’re in the streets. We love dc, this is our home. And we won’t let it just go willingly and teach this bitch.

Medea Benjamin:

I think this one is great because it brings together so many key issues. You have the issue of ice, get ice out of our city. You have groups like Casa representing immigrants and the signs saying immigrants are welcome here. Then you have the issue of the militarization of our city, which is wrapped around the whole issue of free DC and statehood for dc. And then we have the issue of Palestine. That occupation is a crime from DC to Palestine. So it’s all connected. It’s a large march. It’s very militant and I think it’s great.

Mansa Musa:

And I dub this as organized in 1 0 1 because we seen initially the call was for free dc, but then it takes on the international and national character. How do you think This’s going to play out in the long run?

Medea Benjamin:

Well, I think in the long run, the only way to deal with any of these issues, whether it’s ice or the oppression of DC by the Trump administration or Palestine, is united front. And this is an example of United Front. It’s got to get much bigger and we’ve got to really strengthen all of those connections. But this is a great example.

Mansa Musa:

This remind me of the war in Vietnam. When we had the marches against the war in Vietnam, it started out microscopic, but then it got to a point where it became international, where every Saturday, every Sunday, every day throughout the week, you see masses demonstration. So this is characteristic of that. Do you not agree?

Medea Benjamin:

Absolutely. And I think that’s the way we have to do, it’s great to be marching on a Saturday, but we really need to be out in the streets on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday when we say no business as usual. So I’m looking forward to that because until now there’s been small groupings of these individual issues. For example, I’m in Congress all the time and you see the free DC people in Congress, you see us, the Palestine people, you see the immigrant rights people, but they’re not together. So if we joined up during the week as well as on the weekend, I think there’s so much power in that.

Ryan Harvey:

Well, I think it’s important for folks. We came down, we had five buses come down from Baltimore, organize that with in partnership with unions and grassroots groups. I saw a busload of folks from Vermont. I think it’s really important for folks to take some national action right now and stand up because DC’s a test case. DC’s the city where he’s testing out how far he can push it. And I think Trump’s making real authoritarian moves right now. And I think it’s really important for people to be out here, not just for us and for the people in our cities, but also for members of the National Guard and members of the US military. They need to be asking themselves if they’re not already serious questions right now about what they’re doing, what they’re being asked to do, what their rights are, and do they have the willingness to stand on the right side of this.

Mansa Musa:

And we was down here, one of the marches that they had, and it was about 60 people today. It looked like we estimating more close to 3000. But in terms of the coalition building, what’d you think about that?

Ryan Harvey:

I mean, I would say this looks to me like it’s at least 10,000. I mean, how far we’re stretching the White House right now, but no, look, I mean we’ve been building coalitions I would say in a pretty unprecedented way for the last couple of years. And I think what’s been happening, especially with the unity now between some of the labor unions and grassroots organizations, especially black led grassroots organizations in DC, I think is critical. I think the labor movement needs to be pushed in a better direction in terms of how they show up on the streets. And I think that a lot of folks need to be reaching out to the unions and working with the unions and organizing unions as well. So I think there’s a gap that we’ve been suffering from, I would say, since McCarthy in this country. And I think we’re starting to undo some of that. And I think it’s really good to see.

Mansa Musa:

And this remind me of the war in Vietnam, how to protest, start with the war in Vietnam. And it always ended up in DC where people come together in hundreds of thousands to protest. And I think this is the star that would you agree?

Ryan Harvey:

Absolutely. And Vietnam was a common enemy. I think there’s a misconception about the sixties that it was all about Vietnam. You go to a Vietnam War protest, there’s the black power movement, there’s the Puerto Rican Liberation Movement, the gay liberation movement, leftists, socialists, et cetera. The feminist movement. We’re in a moment like that and folks need to understand. And I think we are understanding that when you have these common struggles, that’s where a lot of problems get solved. That’s where a lot of forms of bigotry disappear when you confront that this person is fighting just like I am for something better for themselves and for the world.

Johnny Silvercloud:

It looks pretty amazing, man. It was like a whole lot more folks than I thought.

Mansa Musa:

Yeah. Have you been at the previous ones?

Johnny Silvercloud:

Yeah, a few of them. I was bit injured, so I couldn’t be in the ones early August. But I make my way to be out here. Now you’re talking to Johnny Silver Cloud, the premier photographer, videographer of Washington DC as far as street journalism goes.

Mansa Musa:

But talk about this movement and talk about the characteristics of it. Have you been noticing that they got people from all over the country?

Johnny Silvercloud:

Oh yeah. Especially as a military veteran, a lot of folks center around where we’re camped out at. We’ll find numerous folks coming from Mississippi, Georgia, California, Vermont, Maine. It’s pretty amazing. There’s probably a couple of days that I’ve missed. I don’t have overhead sight of every day, but these summer come out, there’s, there’s folks that are native to dc, native of the DMV. There’s a difference. And also folks from across the United States. It’s pretty amazing. Alright, one more thing. Alright. So we as Washington dc, especially US military veterans, we are not against the National Guard. We’re not against the troops, we’re against their presence. We are against their usage. Their usage. Because we’re not mad at the pieces on the chess board. We’re mad at the hand on the pieces.

Mansa Musa:

Okay. You mad at the people that’s moving the pieces?

Johnny Silvercloud:

Exactly.

Craig Williams:

I’m Craig Williams. I do a jazz program on Thursday mornings. Morning brew, classic jazz edition.

Mansa Musa:

Yeah, I listen to Morning Brew.

Craig Williams:

Oh good, good. And I’m also here in the streets representing the justice side of our radio station.

Mansa Musa:

What you think about this day’s demonstration?

Craig Williams:

I think it’s great that we finally have a really big event and turnout from everywhere.

Mansa Musa:

Look, when you look up we way down, we are in the middle of it and they way down the road. Talk about being alternative radio and attack on media. How is WPFW fighting back?

Craig Williams:

So we have not had corporation for funding, public broadcasting for over a decade. So they can’t take money away from us that they haven’t been given us. On the other hand, our Pacifica network was specifically mentioned in Project 2025 and the FCC is watching. So we have to be careful about everything we do, everything we say, everything we play, and it isn’t fun.

Mansa Musa:

Is freedom of speech under attack?

Craig Williams:

Absolutely. Absolutely.

Mansa Musa:

Why you wearing that at this time?

Unnamed Protestor 1:

Because it’s about solidarity. It’s about all the people who are experiencing hate and oppression banding together and not being divided.

Mansa Musa:

And you got to say a reminder, this is not normal. Why is this not normal?

Unnamed Protestor 1:

We do not need the National Guard in our streets. Our streets are safe. I feel more unsafe from the National Guard than I do from the people of dc.

Mansa Musa:

And what do you think about today’s demonstration, the turnout?

Unnamed Protestor 1:

I’m really happy about it because the last demonstration I went to was much smaller and I think that everybody should be in the streets. Everybody, when one person civil rights are taken away, all of our civil rights are at risk.

Thomas:

It’s a great turnout. Multicultural religious organizations in the forefront. And many people who are native and live in DC are here as well as people from around the region.

Mansa Musa:

Right. I noticed that it’s a cross section of people representation, the unions transgender, L-B-G-T-Q, the Palestinians. But talk about free DC because I see you have free dc. Talk about what it means when you say free dc.

Thomas:

If you notice the term free DC is more than taxation without representation is more than home rule. It’s actually the deliberation of people exercising their own right to liberty. So free DC means a lot. Those people who made our home, it means that we get to run our lives, we get to run our government. It’s not run from the outside even by a person like Trump.

Mansa Musa:

And I’m glad you qualify that. I was thinking the same thing when you say free DC and then you put the limitation on it, statehood that don’t mean that you free right now we got home rule. And do you think home rule represent freedom?

Thomas:

No. Home rule examples of what’s going on right now. Home rule show you that it’s not freedom. It’s so many exemptions and so many rights that can be taken away simply by the presidential authority.

Mansa Musa:

Talk about if you have a view on they saying the mayor capitulated to Trump going with the occupation. Talk about that, if you got a view.

Thomas:

The mayor plays within the lines. She’s not a rebellious person. She plays within the rules that are given to her. So she’s trying to make the best that she can. But the mayor, I thought was a friend of mine, but I can see her days coming to an end.

Mansa Musa:

Yeah, I think so too because right now most citizens in the District of Columbia don’t like this occupation. Just the other day, they locked out kids from Union Station. They didn’t let ’em at a certain time when the curfew kicked in, they said that they could not go use the subway in public transportation, the National Guard. And then the mayor turned around and say that we are happy that these people are here.

Keya Chatterjee:

We’re out here also in front of the Wilson building. So I want to say something also to Mayor Bowser. Mayor Bowser, your constituents call on you to stop cooperating with this administration. Do not make their work easier or convenient. We do not welcome indefinite coordination. Do we welcome that? No. And the vast majority of our constituents do not want this. Local leaders oppose what is happening right now. And we need you not to enable it.

Erin McCleary:

Mariel Bowser. Yeah, we need some leadership right now. We don’t need conciliatory, appeasement. It gets us nowhere. First rule against fascism is Yeah, don’t bend the knee.

Mansa Musa:

Don’t bend.

Erin McCleary:

Don’t bend.

Mansa Musa:

I thought she was for statehood. I thought she was for a home rule. I thought all her actions she say is in defense of these things.

Erin McCleary:

I mean, actions speak louder than words. And she talks to Pam Bundy every day. I am disappointed. I’m let down. I’m afraid.

Mansa Musa:

Oh, is it more or is it more like Pam Bundy? Tell her what to do every day.

Erin McCleary:

I mean, either way. Does she have to be an earpiece for Pam Bundy?

Mansa Musa:

No.

Erin McCleary:

Come on.

Mansa Musa:

What you think about today’s demonstration?

Erin McCleary:

Huge turnout. Very inspiring. We’re united. We’re united.

Mansa Musa:

She’s coming about there.

Erin McCleary:

She’s going to what?

Mansa Musa:

Bows. She’s coming about

Erin McCleary:

There. Oh, for

Mansa Musa:

Sure.

Erin McCleary:

She’s done. She’s done.

Mansa Musa:

She’s done.

Erin McCleary:

She’s done. Bye-bye. Bowser.

Mansa Musa:

Talk about the orange man. Why you got the orange man?

Maisy:

I wanted to bring some fun to the march because we are so fed up. We’re so filled with anger. So now it’s kind of like nice to put a little fun in it.

Mansa Musa:

And fun is definitely, this is like you got good trouble and you got good fun.

Maisy:

Yep. Good trouble.

Keya Chatterjee:

So fascists like this president lose their power. When people like us start using our power, we’re going to use our power as workers and we’re going to use our power as community members. So we need to use every single tool we have to make this administration’s attacks on us. Difficult and costly every day. Everywhere. And that is how we will win.

Mansa Musa:

Talk about what you see today, Paul.

Paul Coates:

I see people. I see people and I’m energized by ’em. I’m energized by the young folks. I’m energized by the older folks who are out here like me, but very, very energized by people and from all different veins. All right. Different interests are united here. Beautiful.

Mansa Musa:

And we just talked to a woman from Vermont and she say, and we got people from Vermont. We got people representing the Palestinians. We got people representing in apartheid DC and we got people talking about don’t occupy Baltimore. So it’s a cross section throughout the world.

Should the unions be more proactive?

Steven:

The unions should be much more active. Trump’s taken away bargaining rights from a million people and every union should be out and some unions are, but a bunch of unions have somehow convinced themselves that they’ll sort of sit this out and be okay and they’re wrong. Everybody needs to be out.

Mansa Musa:

Yeah, because come for one ain’t going to come for everybody.

Steven:

That’s exactly right. But what is good is UNITE HERE, SEIU 32BJ, a bunch of unions are here today, but it’s unions who should be on the front lines in fighting fascism.

Mansa Musa:

And Paul, what about the representation of black people? You think more black people should be represented? I mean, we don’t turn out, we’re not turning out. And the one that’s most threatened

Paul Coates:

In this city, I don’t know about most threatening this city, but I know when black folks are ready to turn out, they’ll turn out. Right now, I’m very happy to see white folks out here and so many white folks out here. It actually makes me feel good and it enlivens me. I don’t think we have to worry about black folks coming out. I don’t. Folks are ready to jump in the street. They’ll jump in the street and unfortunately they may come out with a little different, a little different. So I’m glad to see it going. It’s going okay.

Sue Blair:

We’re union workers. We stick up for rights, workers’ rights. We are based out of Atlantic City, but unite here is all over the country. Local 54 is very powerful. Our president, Donna DiCaprio, she’s awesome. She likes to stick up for workers’ rights. And when this all went down, we have about 150 TPS workers in Atlantic City and we came down here to March. They’re trying to take away their temporary protective status. So we came down here to march and do the rally.

Mansa Musa:

How important do you think it is for the union to be represented in marches like this?

Sue Blair:

Very important. It’s very important for workers’ rights. We stick up for all workers’ rights, but being that my mom was never a citizen and to stick up for the dreamers and they have their children here and for them to be deported and it’s just horrible. They have rights. They’ve been paying taxes for decades now, and now they’re trying to make them leave the country. It’s just not right.

Mansa Musa:

We’re in the midst of a march in DC Freedom. We marched from Malcolm X Park to down to Freedom Square. But what you see behind me is where they barricaded the front of the White House. This was one of the major tour attraction, and now they got petitions up where you can’t walk through that section no more. Just last week you could. Today you can’t. Here today, gone tomorrow.

Keya Chatterjee:

This is not just about the next election. Their end game is to silence, dissent and prevent a transfer of power. Why do we have Democrats voting for that? They’re bullying you and you are being bullied into attacking dc. So some of the people who have the most tools right now are members of Congress and we need Congress to do their part. And this president’s racist and white nationalist occupation of dc, right? They have the power to do that. We need this Congress to get ice out of DC and get the entire federal Gestapo outside of dc. We heard from our black youth today what that is doing. Do we want them out?

Juliette Bethea:

All I have to say is we must resist this. And today is encouraging to see folks out who aren’t going to deal with this. So we just have to resist. Are you a native Washington? Well, I’ve lived here since 1967. I wasn’t born here, but I’ve payed a lot of taxes

Mansa Musa:

You’re a Washingtonian. You remember the Civil Rights Act? You remember summer jobs, all that stuff. Right. So what you think about the state of DC right now? What’s going on with the state of DC right now?

Juliette Bethea:

Well, it’s really distressing. It’s an outrage because I was here when we were fighting for home rule, and even when we were fighting for representation on the school board and then mayor and then, so to see the pendulums would go, this far is really distressing and I have no other option but to resist it in many ways.

Mansa Musa:

And this is a good indication of the people’s attitude about what they feel. I didn’t participate in a number of rallies, but this is the largest and the most You think about that, the cross-sectional aspect of this.

Juliette Bethea:

Well, we have people from all over the country. I’ve been talking with people from Chicago, from Atlantic City, from New York. So people realize what this means and the ramifications of this. It’s not just about controlling dc, it’s this march towards authoritarian, which we have to resist.

Mansa Musa:

As you can see, we’re wrapping up our day of rally and demonstration for freedom. They say free dc. But as we talk to people, they say it’s bigger than that. It’s bigger than free in dc. It’s about people’s right to humanity and to be treated as human beings. We had a cross section of people here today. We had unions, we had the Palestinian representatives, we had people come all the way from Guam. We had people come from every city, major city in the United States, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta Union representatives, and more importantly, we had grassroots elements come here around organizing to eternity as they see it today from the Trump administration. So it is not about free dc, it’s about freedom. Our right to have freedom. Stay tuned.