Hundreds of participants gathered on the National Mall on Sept. 19 to welcome marchers from the We Are America March and to rally against the recent actions of the Trump Administration.
The march left Philadelphia on Sept. 6 and, over two weeks, marched 10 to 15 miles per day to D.C. to deliver an enlarged copy of the Constitution to Congress and demand action. Suzanne Halter, who served as support in the Delaware leg of the march and came to D.C. for the last rally, said the group received food, housing and, on occasion, transportation across rivers from multiple communities along the way.
Elise Drake marched the first five miles from her hometown of Philadelphia, and she couldn’t resist coming down to D.C. to see the grand finale. She has a long history in activism and wants to continue making her voice heard.
“We need to stand up together to get Congress to show a little leadership,” Drake said. “I've been involved for 55 years. I'm not stopping now.”
Participants and marchers were joined by speakers, including Rep. Al Green, D-Texas and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.
As the marchers approached the National Mall, the crowd was asked to form lines on either side of the sidewalk. The crowd held signs and rang their cowbells, applauding protesters for their journey of around 160 miles.
The D.C. Activist Street Band played the theme from “Rocky” as the marchers entered a tunnel created by the crowd. The band joined the marchers at Lafayette Square and continued with them to the National Mall, where they joined the rally.
Michael Mendelson and Dylan Laird, two members of the band, joined the march for the last leg in D.C. They played music for the final two miles while they marched, explaining how music serves as activism.
“There’s a really great quote by, I think, a Black activist that says the purpose of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible,” Laird said. “And part of our role is the energy, make it attractive, bring people in, raise energy.”
Van Hollen addressed a crowd from the stage, speaking about why people need to take action.
“So when history will judge us by what we do in the moment, a moment of peril for our constitution, or a democracy for our country, it is a time for choosing,” the senator said. “And we must choose this moment to fight for our future, in our communities, our courts, and in Congress.”
Harry Donne, a former Capitol police officer who was on duty on Jan. 6, 2021, spoke to the crowd about Jimmy Kimmel’s show being pulled off the air and the consequences of the Trump administration.
“An intended consequence of going after free speech is to scare people. It scared people to be silent when we need to be the loudest,” Donne said. “Courage is contagious.”
Halter noted that censoring comedians was one of the worst things that the Trump administration could do, and after both Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel were cancelled, she said she became even more patriotic.
While the majority of people were at the rally to support the mission of the We Are America March, Californian Janet Farzan sat on a bench to the side of the rally. She said she did not have previous knowledge of the march happening, but she would have opposed it if she had. Farzan added that she believes that President Donald Trump’s stance on D.C. crime has made the District much safer, and people should be more grateful for it.
“Trump is the best thing [that] happened,” Farzan said. “I think all the democrats should kiss his ass and thank God for Trump to be the president.”
Rig Madden, a former member of the U.S. Army, settled in Northern Virginia after retirement and said people have no excuse not to be at the rally.
“If an elder lady can walk 160 fucking miles, I think that no one has an excuse,” Madden said. “If you're a teacher, teach resistance. If you’re a musician, play resistance. If you're a soldier like me, get out here in the field and leave resistance.”
Green noted how appreciative he is of the rights awarded by the U.S. Constitution, and he outlined how they could be utilized before the next election.
“We’re going to use it to the best of our abilities to make sure that January 2027, the president that is in office now does not have the opportunity to declare martial law, bring out the National Guard and try to hold it over an office,” Green said. “Because hopefully with your help and the help of the Senate and the House, we will have impeached him.”
Green led the crowd in his rendition of “God Bless America” before leaving the stage.
In his remarks, Green acknowledged his support for the crowd’s presence. He added that a large presence sends a message “to the man who lives some blocks away.”
“Dear sir, we want you to understand that you are not going to mute the voices of the American people,” Green said. “We the people will not be silent.”
This article was edited by Gabrielle McNamee, Abigail Hatting and Walker Whalen. Copy editing done by Sabine Kanter-Huchting and Ariana Kavoossi.
