Washington, D.C. – On Thursday evening, October 17, a group of activists disrupted Mayor Muriel Bowser at a speaking event in which she sought to control the narrative regarding her coordination with the Trump administration and federal immigration authorities.
Families Not Feds, a campaign led by Colectivo Familias Migrantes DC, called the direct action to hold Bowser accountable for conceding to Trump and stop ICE kidnapping operations. DC Against the Trump Agenda (DCATA), Metro DSA, and the Sunrise movement DC supported the action.
The event, hosted by the Ward 5 Leadership Council and sponsored by Amalgamated Bank, billed itself as a “dialogue” with the mayor, and sought to address the mayor’s response to the Trump occupation of DC and her cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
After an opening prayer, the mayor took center stage and began her comments, which consisted of a glowing report of her policies in 2025. Once she began to praise Trump’s military takeover of DC for causing historically low crime rates in the city, the first disrupter stood up and confronted her.
“Why would you say that, without addressing the fact that more than 20 people have been kidnapped by ICE in the last 48 hours alone?” As MPD and Bowser’s personal security rushed to grab the disrupter, he continued “You’ve sold out the Black community to developers for decades and now you’re selling out the immigrant community to Trump!”
One by one, the protesters planted in the crowd interrupted and did not allow Bowser to spew any more rhetoric trying to rationalize her capitulation to Trump.
“Bowser! What do you have to say for yourself! Over 20 people have been detained over the last two days, and you’ve been meeting with the racist white supremacist Stephen Miller, the chief of staff for the Trump administration!” said another demonstrator who was pushed out of the room onto an enclosed porch that is a part of the library. “A video game is a better mayor than you!” alluding to Bowser from the Mario Bros. video game.
Another disruptor came to the microphone to ask Bowser why she had lied about her continuing collaboration with ICE. This caused the mayor to go into a bizarre state of frustration, in which she repeated the phrase “I don’t lie” 17 times in a row.
“You know you what you need to do, is actually say what you’re going to do instead of having a discussion!” said another third disruptor, as security officers grabbed her and began to push her out of the room. “You’re a liar!” to which the mayor defaulted back with “I don’t lie” seven more times, for a total of 24 that evening.
After being removed from the event, the protesters began chanting outside on the sidewalk. “Bowser Bowser you’re a traitor! This term is your last as mayor!” and “Move Bowser, get out the way!” Their chants continued to disrupt the event. The sounds of their booming chants could be heard inside the venue so loudly that the mayor had to cut her speech and speed through the Q&A section.
Outside, police used brutal and illegal tactics to try to get the protesters to stop chanting, including shoving protesters from a public sidewalk and putting up police tape to block access. At one point, they violently arrested a Black community member who was curious about the demonstration and simply asked why they were pushing people off a public sidewalk.
Even after the event concluded and Bowser’s security detail walked her to her car, protesters chanted even louder. “Bowser and Trump, sitting in a tree, attacking and deporting immigrants in DC!”
This direct action was just the most recent step in the Families Not Feds Campaign which is bringing mass pressure down onto the shoulders of Bowser and any other elected official who are collaborating with the racist and reactionary Trump agenda in DC. Already, the pressure campaign seems to be bearing fruit, as the day after Bowser’s event was shut down, City Council Member Robert White released a public letter demanding transparency from the mayor on her coordination with ICE.
Mayor Bowser and her police were caught off guard by the collective action of the people, and organizations like DCATA plan to bring the fight forward to the federal level as they look to mobilize in collaboration with 50501 for the No Kings march this weekend.
Follow @dcagainsttrump on Instagram for more updates on their organizing to fight back against the Trump ordered federal occupation of DC.
#WashingtonDC #DC #ImmigrantRights #DCATA #ICE #Trump #CFMDC
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