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An unknown person displays the flag near the National Archives in Washington DC on July 4. Photo: Susan Douglas

Washington DC—Reflections on July 4, 2025.

After the very disappointing but not unexpected passage of the big, ridiculous bill on July 3, I was in little mood to celebrate the 4th of July. Our democracy is being dismantled, and what we see before us is unmistakably fascism. The suffering this bill will bring to millions of people is not what our country stands for, and funding ICE with billions of additional dollars will only rush pain and terror to innocent people.

Instead of celebrating with fireworks or watching the parade in DC, I attended a group reading of the Declaration of Independence. It was originally slated to take place in front of the National Archives, home to the original, signed copy of the Declaration. The organizers had to move the location across the street, next to the Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, due to crowds, the parade, and a previously scheduled event at the Archives. There were about 30 or 40 of us gathered.

As I stood and listened to a number of people taking turns, with a bullhorn/microphone, to read each paragraph of the Declaration with solemnity and conviction, I had to fight hard to hear these important words, as they were being drowned out by the passing parade. Marching bands, people yelling, and all the commotion that comes with a big city parade proved to be more powerful than the readers and the message of freedom that they sought to share as a reminder of what our country fought so hard for nearly 250 years ago when we declared we would not be ruled by a tyrannical king.

Watching the scene unfold, I realized that drowning out the reading of the Declaration of Independence provided a metaphor for this very moment in time. Millions of people are voicing their dissent, their outrage, and their refusal to accept fascism in the U.S., but is it loud enough? Are our voices making a difference?

We must prevent this regime from drowning us out. We must be louder, bolder, and stronger than those we seek to defeat. We cannot, we must not, let the noise around us be louder than our message.

Grab your signs, and if you don’t have any, make one. My favorite is “Oh Hell No”, a multi-purpose outrage that applies to everything being done to dismantle our democracy. Choose the topic(s) that matter most to you: protecting immigrants, crushing ICE, SCOTUS caving to tyranny, No Kings, etc. Join a banner brigade on an overpass near you. Join any rallies in your area. Be active in helping to get out the vote. The mid-term elections are going to be absolutely critical in helping us eliminate tyranny and repair the damage done. Most importantly, stay informed through independent media channels that bring accurate and timely reporting.

Whatever you do, however you show up in this fight to save our democracy and resist tyranny, make sure your voice can be heard above the relentless din of those who seek to control us. It’s up to us now.

You may follow Susan Douglas on Substack here.

The post Don’t Let the Noise Drown out Your Voice appeared first on DCMediaGroup.

Signs of Fascism laid out at Tesla Takedown. Photo: J. Zangas/ DCMG

Arlington, VA— For over five months on consecutive weekends and Tuesdays, the Tesla Takedown boycott line has been taking on Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, diminishing his wealth in terms of Tesla stock value, exposing his illegal Doge takedown of federal government agencies, and the firing of tens of thousands of federal civil servants.

The Tesla Takedown of Musk is credited with creating friction between Trump and Musk and they have been successful beyond expectations.

Meanwhile, in March and April, Trump gave Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) permission to begin illegal kidnappings of green card holders. Then a wave of so-called ICE agents—no one could actually tell who they were or if they were legitimate because they covered their faces and car license plates—began forcefully taking people out of their communities and work spaces. During these raids, ICE also swept up American citizens—children born on U.S. soil—with these kidnappings. Like Lara C., these victims were brown-skinned or Muslim but not White, and they were being taken by the thousands to places unknown, and families, loved ones, and attorneys often could not determine where they were.

The idea to challenge the regime’s rapid goose step toward authoritarianism came to Lara C., a participant of Tesla Takedowns, as she watched the trickle of ICE agents snatching brown-skinned people grow to a rush and then explode into a torrent. In fear, she began carrying copies of her birth certificate proving where she was born and that she was a U.S. citizen. It, too, could certainly happen to her she thought, simply because she was brown.

Habeas Corpus—‘you should have the body’

A bedrock of liberty is the right to know what charges are being made against an individual and to be able to appear in a public court to have those charges read and explained. We understand it in modern terms as due process. The Founding Fathers specifically wrote this into the Constitution right up at the top in Article I, Section 9. One might say it was a very important aspect of liberty because King George III had an unfair inclination to disappear people who disagreed with him into indefinite detention in the Tower of London without any charges, explanation, or recourse.

Article I, Section 9 reads, “The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.”

What ICE has been doing and continues to do is deny the liberty of Habeas Corpus to thousands, Supreme Court rulings notwithstanding. It remains one of the most basic rights provided in the Constitution. On the issue of birthright citizenship, on which the Supreme Court recently ruled in Trump’s favor on the issue of whether or not District Courts could grant class standing of suits against the government for any citizens born in the U.S. to immigrants, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson published a blistering dissent against the conservative Court majority to grant Trump’s request. “I have no doubt that, if judges must allow the executive to act unlawfully in some circumstances, as the court concludes today, executive lawlessness will flourish, and from there, it is not difficult to predict how this all ends. Eventually, executive power will become completely uncontainable, and our beloved constitutional republic will be no more,” she wrote.

Lara thought about how wrong it was that a handful of people could authorize kidnappings of so many, without due process, at the whims of the President, and just like King George III did, deny them rights to appearance before a judge to hear the charges against them, be afforded a trial, and have an opportunity to challenge those charges before legal proceedings. She knew that these bedrock principles and rights were wrongfully being swept away.

Lara wondered what she could do to educate others about the injustice of growing ICE actions against innocent people. She thought of making street signs to educate others and those passing by the Tesla Takedowns about the elements of fascism. The societal conditions that she saw materializing around her certainly weren’t anything normal.

She quoted Nelson Mandela as the impetus for helping her come up with her idea to fight back against fascism: “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”

ICE—The Dream Team Fit For A Dictator

ICE went into hyperdrive and blew through its budget within months of its new authorization to round up green card holders. Congress recently allocated more than a 265% increase in its spending bill—more money for new detainment camps and for ICE agents—more than the budgets for the FBI, Bureau of Prisons, the DEA combined; and more than the U.S. Marine Corps.

With the passage of the Big Ugly Bill aka HR1, it was time for Lara to say out loud what fascism is so there could be no confusion or ambiguity about what was happening in the U.S. She and others from We of Action (WofA) and Third Act created the messaging on signs with 17 characteristics of a fascist regime. They attached H wire stakes to each sign and set them about 20 feet apart at the Tesla Takedown action. Now the drivers passing Tesla would have something to think about:

1. Combining Church and State
2. Human Rights Violations
3. Eliminating Due Process
4. Attacking Free Press
5. Disinformation, Lies, and Propaganda
6. Militarized Police
7. Corporate Profits over Workers
8. Assault on Academia and Arts
9. Attacking Political Opposition
10. Unqualified Political Appointments
11. Blaming Immigrants for Problems
12. Using Fear and Violence
13. Legalized Gender Discrimination
14. Racism
15. Persecution of Minorities
16. Centralized Power (Dictator)
17. Anti-Science

The Trump culture embodies all of these indicators. There are multiple instances of how they have ticked the characteristics in every case.

Fascism Its Indicators and Characteristics

It’s difficult to actually define what fascism is and tell when a elected government becomes authoritarian and then has crossed over the line to meet the definition of fascism. Fascism is a hybrid of authoritarianism. Different social justice groups have published a varying number of character traits to define what fascism is.

Fascism Fighters lists 22 indicators of what Fascism is and assigns Trump as meeting all 22 of the characteristics on its website.

—Use of enemy as a scapegoat and distraction
—Anti-minority / chauvinistic
—Call for a national rebirth
—Extreme nationalism
—Use of violence
—Aggressive militarism
—Cult of personality
—Anti-intellectualism and cultural repression
—Advancement of propaganda through a controlled mass media
—Authoritarian tendencies and aspirations
—Imperialistic ambitions
—Mass mobilization
—Elimination of human rights to prioritize the state
—Religion and government are intertwined
—Promotion of corporate power / Suppression of labor power
—Obsession with law and order
—Youth indoctrination
—Cronyism and corruption
—Demand of unwavering loyalty
—Fraudulent elections
—Desire for economic self-sufficiency
—“Work makes you free”

The Political Science Blog characterizes Fascism with 10 major indicators:

1. Opposition to Marxism
2. Opposition to Political and Cultural Liberalism
3. Glorification of the State
4. Extreme Nationalism
5. Imperialism
6. Opposition to Parliamentary Democracy
7. Totalitarian Ambition
8. Millitary Values
9. Acceptance of Racism
10. Economic Policies that are conservative
11. Mass Mobilisation
12. Education as Character Building

In each of these definitions, within 5 months, Trump and his group of cabinet-appointed enforcers has quickly corralled the republic into a fascist regime.

Hope Is Not Lost—The People Are Mobilizing

All across the country people are mobilizing to fight this political scourge. There are many actions planned for the coming weeks and months. Today’s action outside the Arlington Tesla showroom is but one of many Tesla showroom protests.

The historian vlogger, Heather Cox Richardson said in her video series posted on July 3, Letters From An American, that the passage of the budget bill was a major setback but she also championed the diversity, resources, and capacity of people of the resistance. She urged people to get involved because “if we don’t step up, each day is going to get harder and harder.” Harriet Tubman said, “ The only way out is through.” These are not the times we chose but we must do what we must because we don’t have a choice.

One last point Richardson made was that a few days ago “we just got the support of a whole lot of people who didn’t realize they were part of the resistance.”

The post Tesla Takedown Arlington Signage: Fascism Is Here, And It Is Happening Now appeared first on DCMediaGroup.

NASA Scientists and Engineers protest outside their headquarters building in Washington DC. Photo: John Zangas/ DCMediaGroup

Washington, DC—Something almost as strange as the discovery of dark matter itself happened outside the NASA headquarters building in Washington, DC on Monday morning. NASA scientists, engineers, technicians, and supporters protested ongoing government cutbacks outside their headquarters office in Washington, DC. They wanted to make the public aware of the impact that ongoing budget cuts and the spending bill would have on the U.S. space agency.

At 7 a.m., as civil servants were beginning their workday, dozens began arriving and stood for three hours with protest signs to tell the public they would no longer remain quiet about the budget cuts. One of the spokespersons of the group said the budget cuts are already being implemented despite Congress not having yet approved them.

The proposed budget cuts will reduce NASA staff by 25%, shut dozens of near earth, deep space, and earth research programs, both ongoing and in the planning stages at the space agency. The reductions in force would reduce staffing to 1960 levels at a time when NASA plans to begin its return to the moon with the Artemis lunar human project, while at the same time jump-starting its plans for human travel to Mars. These cuts would almost certainly lead to serious safety issues for those who embark on those missions, argued several authors who wrote a stinging analysis of the fiscal year 2026 budget cuts.

Almost all of those assembled declined to speak on the record about their disapproval and sense of betrayal over the cuts for fear of retribution. But scientists and engineers are typically some of the most unobtrusive and matter-of-fact thinking folks one is likely to meet, and to see them out on the street in front of their headquarters protesting the elected government leaders as well as the pressure coming from the White House through Doge, is striking.

There was plenty of evidence outside the NASA headquarters that there is already a struggle over what projects would be cut, as cuts are already underway as evidenced by the signs and faces of the scientists and engineers gathered on the sidewalk. NASA Acting Administrator Janet Petro has bent to White House pressure before Congressional approval of the spending bill, and more cuts are likely to come for many of them, according to one of the speakers.

The NASA civil servants’ experience has been a story repeated throughout government since February, when the so-called Department of Government Efficiency’s (Doge) scorched-earth policies first began at the Office of Personnel Management. Although a recent internal riff played out on social media between the Trump and Musk duo, Doge is still operating in agencies across the federal government. Doge personnel are still behind the pressure scheme to cull civil servants from the ranks of virtually every department and agency, except Immigration and Customs Enforcement and a few other police agencies.

Comparatively, the budget bill has allocated an unprecedented increase of 265% to the current annual Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention budget, according to a report from the American Immigration Council. ICE will get $29.9 billion in funding for enforcement and deportation operations, increasing ICE’s annual budget three-fold. The budget will allocate $46.6 billion on border wall construction, a policy already proven to be a failure. These allocations blow past NASA’s annual budget, and produce no benefits to society, according to the teport.

NASA’s FY 2026 budget is only 0.3 % of entire U.S. discretionary spending, according to the 2026 NASA budget report.

The 70 or so NASA civil servants protesting on Monday still managed to lighten the sidewalk mood with an inflatable Pikachu dancing and waving at the passing traffic. Many drivers honked their approval as they drove past the protesters on their way to work. Some of the signs were couched in humor as well: “We don’t Even Know What Dark Matter Is Yet,” and “Stopping Climate Change Is Our Moonshot,” and “In Science We Trust.”

Marshall Finch, a contractor who spoke as an individual and stressed that he was not speaking on behalf of any government agency, said the cuts were already happening “because contractors were already being laid off while civil servants were given a deferred resignation offer.” He added that civil servants were “facing unusual pressure” to “strongly consider taking the resignation [offer] by the leadership.”

Monica Gorman, Lead Organizer, Goddard Engineers, Scientists, and Technicians Association (IFPTE Local 29) said, “In all these attacks, they’ve attacking science at NASA, NOAA, and in the Department of Health and Human Services. They’re attacking scientists and engineers and federal workers across the whole government.” She urged everyone to get involved by speaking to those they know to join and get involved in the fight against these attacks. “This is the biggest fight of our lives and we are all in it together in solidarity,” she said.

Budget for FY 2026 Will Break NASA

The proposed cuts at NASA will discard billions in taxpayer investments in deep space and near earth probes, helio (sun) projects, planetary exploration, and associated project equipment already operating in space. Terminating these programs is certain to end the U.S. standing as a leader in space exploration and technology development, which NASA has provided the nation and the world since its inception in 1958. It will mean that $12 billion already spent on existing space programs will be discarded, according to a published report.

The president’s discretionary budget request for 2026 contains a 26% reduction in funding for NASA as compared to 2025. It reduces NASA funding to $18.8 billion from $24.8 billion, the smallest NASA funding allocation since 1961, eight years before the U.S. put a human on the moon, and less than three years after NASA was created. It is the largest cut in terms of percentage of funding since NASA’s inception.

This means that many programs will be cut, including existing space programs, future space programs already under development, and outreach programs for high school and college students. Programs centered on earth studies to predict weather and advance the understanding of how the climate emergency impacts crop yields and weather will also see severe cuts. Many future programs that have received funding and are still in development are slated to be eliminated altogether, meaning that funding already allocated and spent on those projects will be wasted.

“We have seen the President’s budget request. If it is passed by Congress, then that will include cuts to satellites and probes already doing science in outer space,” said Finch.

A published story in The Space Review concluded that Trump’s NASA budget was “deeply flawed,” and summed it up with three words, “unprecedented, unstrategic, and wasteful.” The report further criticized the cuts for it’s deprivation of vital resource investment on the heels of the Artemis moon program and future plan to take humans to Mars, a time when funding should be increased, not decreased for those projects.

NASA STEM Programs Supporting Youth Intellectual Development Will Be Cut

A mother of one of the civil servants presently working at NASA spoke on behalf of her son, who always dreamed of working at NASA. “His job at NASA was like a dream come true. Like a lot of other NASA employees, his job is on the line. By defunding science and research, by defunding NASA, we are taking away our kids dreams and futures,” she said.

Another NASA employee who did not give their name said, “This administration said that NASA has no place doing engagement and outreach with learning. It’s critical for NASA to engage so we can inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and professionals so NASA can solve the big problems like climate change and getting to Mars.”

One might argue conversely that if the same policy were applied to the Department of Defense, which incidentally spends tens of millions of dollars annually on advertising and recruitment outreach, the DoD would suffer the same fate as will certainly happen as the result of RIFs of NASA civil servants and RIFs at other agencies.

NASA Inspired Generations Towards Science

There are many stories about how NASA created synergy around interest in science and technology because NASA developed a grassroots interest and sense of pride in arcane subjects. NASA scientists and engineers showed others what could be. If one could dream something, then why not strive to make it come to be? Such was the idea presented by President John Kennedy in 1962 when he said “We chose to go to the moon,” before an audience at Rice University Stadium. The dream to walk on the moon took flight at that very moment. It came to be on July 19, 1969, just seven years later.

But it was not getting to the moon and walking on it that was the payoff. It was the impact of the technology development and advancement, scientific achievements and undertakings by civil servants dedicating themselves to novel ideas that propelled the country and the world forward.

Great advancements were achieved in computer hardware, software and interface with equipment as the result of NASA funding for development and applications, using existing science and understanding of materials.

The concept of ‘software engineering’ and the ‘software engineer’ came into the lexicon of science speak as the result of a software coder, a woman named Margaret Hamilton, whose team began writing the computer code in 1965 to help Apollo missions successfully reach the moon. She also developed the concept of programming code for a real-time recovery of a computer failure so it could self-reset its system when its code failed to properly calculate its position (known as an exception). She thought of the idea when her daughter was with her watching a simulation test run by astronauts practicing for a mission. In her curiosity, her daughter’s hand flipped one of the switches controlling the guidance system. Hamilton thought to herself, what if this happened in space? There would be no recovery. Thus her daughter was the impetus for creating a recoverable software solution.

This process saved the Apollo 11 crew from having to abort its moon landing when certain unplanned conditions overloaded the lunar module Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC) with a “1202 alarm.” The ability of the AGC to reset its own code in real time with no adverse consequence to the lunar module orientation it was controlling, was a revolutionary advancement in computer science. The concept of computer code reset is one example of the many accomplishments—too many to note here—made by NASA scientists and engineers.

Some Of NASA’s Extraordinary Achievements

NASA innovation has transformed life as we know it. Its progress has resulted in technology development that has and will continue to benefit the public. NASA has listed the most recent product development of its technologies since 1976, and these are presented on a NASA website named Spinoff.

The NASA website notes, “When Congress created NASA, it mandated the agency disseminate its innovations as widely possible. To that end, the Technology Transfer Program was created in 1964, and it has functioned under various names ever since, making it NASA’s longest continuously-operated mission.”

The ability of NASA to lead in space exploration and achievement was made possible by the diligence of its civil servants and contractors. Some of its noteworthy achievements include:

The Apollo program which successfully landed four teams of two astronauts on the moon and successfully returned them to Earth between 1969 and 1972. Apollo 13, a mission which almost resulted in losing three astronauts in space, demonstrated that NASA was capable of rewriting the manual of a mission from the ground and returning a stricken spacecraft to Earth. It rewrote the process for redundancy and safety on space travel. Since 1972, no human has returned to the moon.

The Voyager inter-planetary space program, consisting of spacecraft Voyager I and II which were launched in 1977, is credited with being the first interstellar probes to exit the influence of the sun’s solar flux and leave the solar system in 2012. These missions continue returning data about the cosmic flux to Earth for scientific study. Voyager I has a gold-plated record attached to it with recorded music and greetings in languages from across the Earth.

Voyager Mission design layout c. 1977. The Voyager I and II deep space missions are continuing to provide vital data 48 years from their launch and decades beyond their expected end of mission date. Image courtesy of NASA

The Perseverance Mars rover explorer landed on Mars in 2021 and included a payload of an operational laboratory, multiple cameras, sample tubes for later collection, and an autonomous, independent, unmanned autonomous vehicle helicopter, capable of flight in the thin atmosphere using its own computer guidance software program. The miniature helicopter named Ingenuity was self-charging, weighed about 4 pounds and flew 72 missions before a computer miscalculation resulted in a hard landing, it proved so successful that its mission was extended several times over. It was the first vehicle to independently fly on a planet other than Earth. On its underside was attached a small piece of cloth from the wing of the Wright brothers’ Flyer aircraft flown at Kitty Hawk in 1903.

Deep Cuts to NASA Are A Setback To Space Exploration And Technological Advances

The budget cuts to NASA would decimate not only scientific research and discoveries in space, it would have a significant impact on technological developments on Earth, according to a published report by Northeastern University. The extent of the budget cuts at NASA “[C]ould end up costing the U.S. more in the long run,” said Jacqueline McCleary, an assistant professor of physics at Northeastern University. McCleary said that decommissioning programs already underway creates additional costs. The programs cannot just be turned off.

The programs NASA has undertaken and completed have resulted in industries that have benefited everyone. GPS and cellular phones and communications are a few of the examples of how NASA has provided global benefits.

Jonathan Tuttle, a supporter of NASA, its scientists and engineers, summarized what was at stake: “Looking up to the stars and wondering what they are is something our ancestors have done ever since we gathered around campfires long before history began. NASA’s legacy is that it delivers the dream of flight to all of us. The warlords and petty tyrants don’t own the stars. We own the stars!”

The post NASA Scientists And Engineers Defend Science, Decry Steep Budget Cuts to Agency appeared first on DCMediaGroup.

Reverend William Barber III led Moral Monday protest in Washington DC which resulted in the arrest of several dozen clergy. Photo: John Zangas / DCMediaGroup

Washington DC—William Barber III led scores of clergy in a Moral Monday action with a walk to the Supreme Court in opposition to the spending bill presently being considered in the Senate. He warned Congress that they would be inextricably tied to “policy murder” if they passed their “morally corrupt” budget bill poised to be voted on within days, if not hours.

The towering civil rights leader was dressed in jet black, reflecting the solemnity of the moment, except for his vestment, gold and brown, with black and white cloth. As he spoke from the Supreme Court sidewalk, a single vocalist sang “Walk With Me, Lord.”

He led scores of clergy from many churches across the country in a procession carrying 50 life-size cardboard coffins with placards attached to each showing the number of people who would be victims of the loss of Medicare benefits in each of the 50 States. The estimated number of deaths from loss of Medicare were projected to be 51,000 in the first year alone. The coffins also showed the numbers of people from each state that would lose Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Each coffin also bore a sign stating, “This coffin represents policy murder.”

“There’s something evil when you’ve got power and you’ve got free healthcare simply because you got elected to office but then you want to block the people from having healthcare,” said the Reverend, ripping Congress for its “greed” and “wickedness.”

Barber further blasted NC Senator Tom Tillis, who yesterday came out in opposition to the budget bill when he said, in effect, his party was “making a “mistake” by supporting the bill. Barber spoke with conviction when he told the audience, “This is not a mistake. This is policy violence. This is policy murder. That’s why we brought these caskets today.”

Reverend Barber pointed out that Congress already knew there would be a projected 51,000 deaths in the first year alone due to the Medicaid cuts, and since Congress already knew that, their goal to enact the bill, could not, by definition, be a mistake.

“The reason it is evil and wicked and mean and bad is because it is all rooted in money and the love of money.” He repeated the Biblical precept “The love of money…,” and a woman nearby him finished “…is the root of all evil.”

He urged the media to stop repeating Trump’s talking points because Trump was calling press conferences “to distract us anytime the news is talking about what is really going on.”

Barber also urged media to not call the bill by the name given it by Trump. “It’s not a ‘beautiful bill’, it’s a big, ugly, damnable, dangerous, deadly, destructive bill,” he said.

It was clear that Reverend Barber had moral sway over the many hundreds assembled at the rally. As he spoke, their rapt attention to his words, plain but powerful as they were, provided a sort of soothing calmness to the audience, despite the oppressive heat and the dangerous moment of social injustice hanging before them.

After several speakers gave testimonials of what losing healthcare and SNAP benefits would do to their families, Reverend Barber led dozens of clergy towards the U.S. Capitol in an act of defiance and against police orders to not proceed onto Capitol grounds.

U.S. Capitol police began to swarm around the slowly marching group of clergy as they neared the entrance to Capitol grounds. The protesters laid the coffins on First Street in an even row and lined up in prayer. The group of about 50 were given three warnings from Capitol police over a bullhorn. Police then arrested them.

Reverend Barber was not arrested. He remained on the sidewalk and spoke to the remaining group of supporters, telling them that other protesters were then inside the Capitol Rotunda and protesting the bill at that very moment. They, too, were arrested. Barber remained on the sidewalk for a time singing with those assembled there before leaving to return to a nearby church to get out of the heat.

The budget bill, as “damnable and dangerous” as it is to the working class and citizens dependent upon benefits, extends far beyond that in scope and destruction of the ‘New Deal” and liberal socity envisioned by Franklin Rosevelt. The extent of the damage it may cause to democratic institutions may not be known for some time, as amendments and changes to the bill were still ongoing in the last week. What is becoming clear is what this bill collectively represents:  the greatest transfer of wealth from the middle class to the billionaire class, in the history of the United States.

The post Reverend William Barber III Rips Congress On Budget Bill “Policy Murder” At DC Moral Monday Protest appeared first on DCMediaGroup.

U.S. Department of State Photo: John Zangas/ DCMediaGroup

Washington DC—Former employees of the Department of State assembled outside the diplomatic headquarters on Friday, warning that reductions in force (RIFs) under Marco Rubio will imperil, if not fundamentally eliminate, U.S. diplomatic capabilities abroad. The assembled group was unmistakably striking in that it included active federal employees and federal employees already RIFed, as well as federal employees from other agencies already affected.

Outside the Harry S. Truman State Department building, lines of metal barriers and special police blocked access to the diplomatic headquarters, although it was clear that the limited number of those assembled posed no threat to the offices. Several groups of supporters held signs and banners. Federal workers from other agencies such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Education, agencies which have been virtually eliminated, also spoke at the rally.

Just hours after the federal workers rallied, it was expected that about 2,000 diplomats and their support teams from 132 different departments would soon be issued termination notices. The RIFs at the Department of State were a part of wider government agency RIFs ordered under Executive Order on February 11, 2025, and implemented under the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge). The American Federation of Government Employees, the AFL-CIO, and other unions filed suit to stop the mass firings and on May 9, 2025, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston of the U.S. District Court of Northern California issued a temporary restraining order to halt the firings. The case is presently on appeal to the Supreme Court awaiting a final ruling which is expected any day and will more likely than not, result in the RIFs being carried out.

Speaker: U.S. State Department Will “Lose Credibility As A Supporter of Democracy”

On the sidewalk, a mist began to fall as speakers tore into Secretary Marco Rubio for his hypocrisy in what they described would become a critical flexion point for ending U.S. support of democratic governance in countries abroad who rely on U.S. diplomatic support.

Caroline X, a federal employee presently working at the Department of State said she expected to be let go within the next few days, and warned the RIFs would cause the U.S. to “lose its credibility as a supporter of democracy and as a global leader.” Caroline X wished not to give their full name or indicate what projects she worked on. She also said that in addition to eliminating many vital programs supporting vulnerable democratic governments, the RIFs create a “vacuum which will eventually be filled by countries like China and Russia.”

Caroline X also slammed the management of the RIFs, saying that “The way it’s being done is so haphazard and chaotic. It’s showing the world that no one is in charge, and no one knows what the hell they’re doing. Right now, we don’t even know who is in charge at the Department of State, Secretary Rubio or Doge or someone else.”

She listed several of the many programs that would be cut because funding and support staff would be eliminated: combating disease, fostering diplomacy, accessing the internet, combating disinformation, programs that empower people around the world, and programs that encourage multiple religions to coexist. These are but a few of the many factors vital to functional democracies abroad.

Federal workers must speak out about RIF impacts and lost services

Gabriel O’Malley, an enforcement attorney who worked at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, said “Now is the time for federal employees to come out of the shadows that we’ve been working in and talk to the public about the work we do.”

He explained that federal workers “are under attack by a coordinated effort of disinformation, untruths, and outright lies” coming from the Trump White House “with a unity of purpose to demonize us and make the American public think we are wasteful, lazy, and useless when the opposite is the truth.”

He also said that by speaking out about what they do, federal workers were making sure that people understand what services would be lost and what negative impacts it would have on the public.

He also urged federal workers to support each other across agencies at other rallies and actions.

U.S. Department of State RIFs and program cuts “Will Make U.S. Less Safe, Less Strong, and Less Prosperous”

A statement issued by Save U.S. Diplomacy, a group of foreign affairs experts and citizens, was read during the rally. It reads, in part:

“It appears Secretary of State Marco Rubio is moving forward with firing thousands of State Department employees and eliminating 132 offices. This irresponsible move comes at a time of war in the Middle East and in Ukraine, and spreading instability across much of world; when American adversaries are taking advantage of the administration’s chaotic retreat from diplomacy and soft power. The State Department employees targeted work to prevent conflict, stabilize fragile states, defend democracy, protect human rights, combat disease, end famine, promote free speech and internet freedom…the Trump administration is signaling that it plans to eliminate these functions without thought, conscience, or understanding of the consequences. These firings will make America less safe, less strong, and less prosperous.”

Harvard Kennedy School Report Proposal Ignored or Reversed

In 2020, the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School, published a report arguing that the U.S. was not prepared for the coming diplomatic challenges it would face in the next decade. Its executive summary reads, “The United States Foreign Service is confronting one of the most profound crises in its long and proud history. At a time of pandemic, recession, and mounting global challenges, our nation’s career diplomats find themselves without the support, funding, training, and leadership they need to represent the American people effectively overseas and in Washington, D.C.”

The report proposed that the State Department undertake 10 major initiatives to upgrade its structure, modernize and train its diplomatic corps’ competencies, and strengthen its field operations. Some of these include:

—Congress should pass a new Foreign Service Act to reshape the Service for the decades ahead and set the highest standards for diplomatic readiness, expertise, and leadership.

—Direct a relentless focus on diversity as a first-order strategic priority. Diversity is an essential element of producing high performance. America’s diplomats should be representative of the American people, their values, and their aspirations.

—Strengthen the professionalization of our diplomats through a vastly expanded career-long program of education and training that focuses on mastery of substantive foreign policy issues, diplomatic expertise, and leadership.

—Initiate a wholesale overhaul of the personnel system to make it more modern, flexible, transparent, and strategically oriented to future challenges and workforce needs.

—Seek legislative authorization and funding for a Diplomatic Reserve Corps, like the military, with annual training requirements and activation commitments. This will create a surge capacity in the event of a national emergency or international crisis and open opportunities for citizens with special skills to support American diplomacy.

—Create a stronger and more nonpartisan Foreign Service by expanding the number of ambassadorial and senior Washington assignments for career professionals.

Of the 10 recommendations proposed, the State Department is effectively reversing all of the Harvard Kennedy School proposals under Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

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An art installation at the U.S. Capitol attracted scores of admirers in a short period on Friday, June 27. Photo: J. Zangas/ DCMediaGroup

Washington DC—An anonymous artist has set up untitled installation art near the U.S. Capitol revealing their interpretation of the state of the U.S. presidency. The prop consists of a golden gilded television, a golden gilded eagle atop it with its wings spread, and golden laurel, resting on a grey column. A plaque is attached to the column with a raised quotation from the White House itself: “In the United States of America you have the right to display your so-called “Art” no matter how ugly it is.”

The TV screen projects a muted short television show consisting of a series of poorly edited clips depicting an oddly cumbersome Trump dancing at various events. A cut-away to a short clip of Trump and Jeffery Epstein at a party in the early 1990s is also included, but poorly spliced into the clip. The Trump-Epstein clip is made to jump in part from frame to frame like an early nickelodeon out of sequence with itself.

The Epstein reference is significant in that it references the dregs of a lawful society. Trump was depicted having a good time at a party with Epstein and Epstein was later imprisoned waiting trial on charges of sex trafficking of minors. His partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, was later convicted and sentenced for sex trafficking minors.

The short silent film is significant in that it is the only authentic part of the installation. The viewer sees Trump as he really is and who he hangs out with, and the picture show is the antithesis of statesmanship.

The setting of the installation requires the viewer to watch the TV show with the U.S. Capitol in the background. The Trump presidency exists with the consent of those in power within the legislature; though he has been twice impeached on sufficient grounds to remove him during his first presidency, he was not removed from office. And he was reelected.

In a short span of 15 minutes on a Friday afternoon, dozens of people came by to gawk and photograph the golden monstrosity, in spite of a misty rain falling. The installation drew countless curiosity seekers to it and caused conversations among strangers with similar worries and concerns. It exposed truth from underneath a thin golden veneer.

A rather large and aggressive man sat in a chair nearby admonishing anyone who touched the installation. He scolded one viewer for touching the column to see if it was real stone, yelling out, “How would you like it if someone thumped you in your head?” It wasn’t clear if he was actually a part of the installation.

The message of the prop is clearly a direct criticism of the Trump White House, its gaudy retrofit of the Oval Office with its golden artifacts all throughout, its triumphant ascendancy to the seat of power of a world power, and its inability to see itself in the reality which others see it.

Why display clips of Trump on television?

Television was discontinued decades ago as digital communications came online, rendering analog television signals obsolete and forcing television antennas to come down. Laurel is usually depicted as green, symbolizing vitality and youth. To preserve it one would need to gild it. As a gilded artifact, it too is a metaphor of something that is long past its prime.

The ancients, the Roman and Chinese, were master guilders and ornamented their tombs and monuments with gold leaf or gilded them with precious metal alloys. This prop is in effect entirely gilded, and at that, overdone and gaudy. It is saying there is nothing new to see here. This has been tried before.

The golden gilded eagle, normally a symbol of power and majesty, is in reality also a criticism of the Trump White House. The eagle was placed at the top of Nazi Germany buildings and in its parliament. It was often used as an ornament for kings and royalty. The Romans used it to symbolize power.

The inscription on the base of the column was a quote by a White House spokesperson in response to another article installation depicting a crushed head of the Statue of Liberty with a golden thumbs-up hand. It was installed in the same place in response to the President’s military parade held on June 15, two weeks ago. In the days it was displayed, it was photographed by thousands. Another installation before it depicted an oak desk with a pile of crap on it—a criticism of the January 6 2021 coup plotters who have all been pardoned.

Finally, the art installation rests on a grey column. There are no memorials or official buildings of the three branches of government supported with grey columns. The Supreme Court, U.S. Capitol, and White House; and the Lincoln, Jefferson, and Washington monuments, are all made with white marble. The color of the stone is significant in that it does not fit with the traditional architecture of Washington DC, nor with the grandeur of the pre-gilded Oval Office

The installation has all the hallmarks and elements of a Banksy production, but it could not be determined for sure who created the installment or assembled the prop. Previous Banksy art has been unauthorized painted silhouettes left abandoned in major metropolitan spaces. Many of Banksy’s works were installations inspired by political events or social injustices.

Whoever created this installation has hit a satirical grand slam in the protest art realm with the real imagery and unedited words of the occupants of the golden gilded White House.

 

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Three friends joined grassroots protests at Tesla Takedown. Photo: John Zangas / DCMediaGroup

Washington DC—If the “No Kings Day” mass mobilization proved anything, it was that many Americans are very unhappy about Trump’s policies and his ICE roundups of migrants and green card holders across the country. Millions came out last Saturday in towns and cities across the country to take part in over 2,000 non-violent civic actions in opposition to his policies. Estimates placed the number of participants at between five and 11 million.

A multitude of civic actions significantly exceeded the “Hands Off” mobilization seen in cities on April 5, when an estimated several million took part in that event. In the DC-MD-VA region, No Kings Day included scores of Visibility Brigades banner drops coordinated by 1000s across Virginia. In Maryland, the group Rise Up also coordinated bridge banner drops. A 5-mile hands across Arlington demonstration drew thousands. The Tesla Takedowns continued in many locations across the region for their 19th consecutive week. On the day before No Kings Day, veterans groups protested in Washington, DC, and many took over and occupied the U.S. Capitol steps, where nearly 60 were arrested.

The Tesla Takedown boycott line this week was fresh off last week’s’ No Kings Day protests and still managed to draw healthy numbers.

On its 20th Tesla Takedown, the Arlington group, spearheaded by the grassroots organization Third Act, Northern Virginia, recognized Juneteenth as its theme. Organizers read out a list of quotes by civil rights leaders of bygone eras and the boycott line responded “Juneteenth.” Another speaker called out a list of issues Americans wanted resolved and the boycott line resounded their support.

Many have found a niche to support the weekly Tesla Takedowns in Arlington, which continue to draw increasing support from motorists each week who honk or give a thumbs up in support as they pass. One participant brought buttons which the line handed out to motorists; another brought snacks and drinks to share, while others brought ice, a wagon of signs, music and speakers to dance to, an awning for shade, and chalk. But everyone brought spirit and joy to encourage each other from succumbing to fear and hopelessness caused by the national trauma this authoritarian regime is wreaking in communities across the country.

One Third Act organizer, Lawrence MacDonald, said that he believed the sustained Tesla Takedowns created space for others to organize actions with their own theme. He added that the success of Tesla Takedowns helped the launch of other actions like the We Of Action (WofA) Bridge Brigades and the Hands Across Arlington action, organized by Indivisible and WofA. Both actions have drawn in 1000’s of participants to community safe-spaces expressing their displeasure with the rising authoritarian oppression across the country.

Tesla Takedowns Play A Role In Fractured Regime

A psychologist and podcaster specializing in the examination of political figures and the intersection of progressive politics, philosophical insights, and mental health, recently published his analysis of the Trump regime. In his published monologue, Dr. Russell Razzaque proposed that there is increasing weakness in Trump’s ability to reach a state of absolute control over American society. Absolute control is necessary for authoritarian regimes to flourish.

Dr. Razzaque first began publishing discussions of how Trump’s mental health impacted his behavior in politics, governance, and national policy after the January Inauguration. His findings give resistance fighters much to hope for—as long as they persist in their actions and continue developing a variety of strategies along nonviolent methods.

Dr. Razzaque points out that authoritarian regimes depend on three major avenues to consolidate power. He compared the power dynamics of an authoritarian regime to a three-legged stool requiring each leg to firmly remain in place for it to continue to stand and maintain its power and control. There are signs everywhere that the authoritarian stool is becoming wobblier. It is unable to fully support Trump’s objectives of absolute power and control over the population. But is it on the verge of collapse?

According to Razzaque, an authoritarian regime must accomplish and maintain three main objectives:

1) It must sufficiently suppress the people to acquiesce, make them afraid to resist, protest, or engage in protest against the regime,

2) The regime must have the ability to control the military to do what is required of them from the regime, and

3) The regime must hold firm and stay united and not have any fractures whatsoever.

Intimidation Tactics Against Citizens Falter

The first main goal of an authoritarian regime (the first leg of the stool) is to cause the population to acquiesce through suppression and fear. It must convince the population not to turn out to protest or engage in activism. It does this by creating false crises by which to declare emergencies. It arrests those who do not obey its emergency constraint. But the Trump regime is failing in this task because organizing and protests are expanding significantly and have been growing in leaps and bounds since February. And this is occurring while the arms of Trump’s apparatus curtail liberty, detain dissenters, and disappear vulnerable members of the community.

Tesla Takedowns continue unabated since mid-February. Even though Elon Musk has dropped out of the public view, Tesla Takedown boycott lines have not stopped their weekly protests. They are not fooled by Musk’s absence in the public sphere because the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continues to wreak havoc with federal agencies and departments across the government, including the Department of Defense. (By the way, it must be agonizing for Musk’s ego to be sidelined and not be able to capture the world’s attention he once enjoyed, because narcissistic personalities thrive on being noticed to build their image.)

Tesla Takedowns have created space for others to get involved since early February, when the protests started, as hundreds of federal workers began staging protests outside their agencies, and as DOGE first began its takeover of federal agencies, firing workers and stealing information from databases.

Federal workers aren’t going away either. They have been continuing to protest outside agencies such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Health and Human Services. On Tuesday a group of fired Federal employees plan a rally at the Hart Senate Office Building.

The Presidents Day protests organized by 50501 in mid-February drew hundreds of thousands across the country. The Hands Off protests on April 5 drew several million, and the No Kings Day nationwide protests drew between five and 11 million participants. Clearly, organizers and activists are not afraid of being on the streets or showing up in big numbers. And the increasing numbers reflect reduced control over the population.

The ICE roundups of migrants and immigrant holders of green cards are another example of Trump’s slipping control over civil society. The roundups are drawing increasing resistance as communities shed their fear and confront ICE agents and begin to challenge them in the streets. At first the immigrant communities cowered in fear of the illegal kidnappings and disappearances, but now communities are mobilizing and rising up when agents show up.

A delegation of clergy showed up at immigration court hearings according to a published report in Times of San Diego, and ICE agents quickly left the courthouse. “On
World Refugee Day, masked immigration agents weren’t leaning against the off-white walls, waiting to grab people. They scattered Friday after seeing a clergy delegation led by Bishop-elect Michael Pham,” according to the published report.

Guerrilla journalist videos published on social media platform Bluesky show instances of enraged communities taunting, chasing, and even running ICE agents out of hotels, shopping centers, and housing developments. This is a far different scenario, and one which no one could have imagined in April, from when ICE agents began raiding businesses, restaurants, and immigration courts to increase their deportation numbers.

Keeping Generals In Line—AKA Herding Cats

The military birthday parade for Trump was a $45 million flop. A published report leaked inside information that “Trump reamed out Hegseth” over the empty bleachers, unsynchronized marching soldiers, and the poor turnout of tens of thousands of viewers instead of the anticipated quarter million. The parade equipment allocated by generals included vintage squeaky tanks and drones hand-carried by out-of-step troops. It was a far cry from the “menacing” machine Trump wanted for his birthday. “It didn’t send the message that he apparently wanted, which is that he was the commander- in-chief of this menacing enterprise,” according to the Daily Beast.

For that, Trump lit up Hegseth with a tongue-lashing, according to presidential biographer Michael Wolff.

DCMediaGroup photo comparisons reflect that there were far more people attending the April 5 “Hands Off” rally against Trump’s policy agenda than there were in the stands viewing the military parade.

The reason for this comes down to the present state of generalship in the armed forces. Many experienced generals have been relieved of duty based on diversity, ethnicity, and inclusion (DEI) reductions carried out by Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth has also forfeited a significant component of leadership. Trust and confidence in him from his subordinate senior leaders at the Pentagon has flatlined in the wake of Hegseth’s Signalgate Chat scandal. Chief Editor Jeffrery Goldberg of the Atlantic revealed he was mistakenly included in a chat thread of released classified information related to real-time U.S. military attacks on Yemen. The fallout over his bombshell first-witness report damaged the reputation of the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD). Hegseth’s integrity was called into question during a meeting at the Senate Arms Committee. Further, the OSD is having trouble finding qualified personnel to staff its critical functions in the wake of the public ridicule Hegseth received. The Signalgate story lingers in military circles like an eagle with a broken wing and it drags down the ship of the Department of Defense like an anchor on the sea floor. As long as Pete Hegseth remains, he will be seen like a crack in the armor of respect for the U.S. military.

Generals and their subordinates engaged in “malicious noncompliance” in planning and carrying out the parade, according to Dr. Razzaque. They did what was required and no more. This is a sign that Trump has rickety loyalty at best among his generals, who, in turn, mistrust Secretary of Defense Hegseth.

Internally Divided Authoritarian Regimes Fold

There are many outward signs that the internal dynamics of the Trump regime are as fractured as a fracked coal mine.

The GOP senators so far cannot agree on Trump’s spending bill because it will eliminate so much social support from their constituents. Red states are heavily dependent on Medicare coverage and SNAP benefits, and these are major priorities slated to be cut under the spending “Big Beautiful Bill” also known as HR1. Veterans’ benefits will also be hammered.

Steve Bannon, once a major Trump supporter and former White House Chief of Staff, has stood up to Elon Musk and Trump over Musk’s plan to hire foreign workers on H-1B visas. He has also challenged Trump over the recent attack on Iran. Tucker Carlson, also once a big Trump supporter, is firmly against another war in the Middle East. He lambasted Senator Ted Cruz over his support of an attack on Iran, during a multi-hour interview.

The public social media meltdown between Elon Musk and Trump on the afternoon of June 5 was the crack that calved the iceberg.

In a series of tweets on X and Truth Social, the dueling narcissists chopped each other to bits. It began with Musk’s criticism of Trump’s spending bill as being too expensive and wasteful. Musk also criticized Trump’s tariffs. Trump said he would have won the state of Pennsylvania without Musk’s help. Musk argued Trump would not have won without his help. It escalated further as the day wore on. Trump threatened to cancel Musk’s government contracts and Musk tweeted he was canceling the Dragon Crew Spacecraft project, the only space vehicle capable of carrying astronauts to the International Space Station. He also called for Trump’s third impeachment and alleged Trump’s name was in the Epstein files and that was why they were not released. Trump called Musk “crazy” and implied he was a drug addict. He also said he was selling his Tesla.

The dramatic irony is that Tesla Takedowns have won the golden grail of activism: getting the President to say what they had been saying since the first day of the Tesla Takedowns: sell your Tesla.

The volley died a semi-quiet death as cooler heads prevailed in the days to follow, but the fireworks of that day left much damage to the Musk-Trump presidency. The damage lingers.

There were other tiffs, such as public insults of Peter Navaro at the hands of Elon Musk. These public fireworks demonstrate that the Trump regime is really not marching to the beat of a single drum. It’s in disarray and, as more opposition rises to oppose it, it will undertake more drastic measures to force people to acquiesce to its demands. However, by continuing to resist Trump’s regime and in supporting each other and allies in different campaigns, the people can and will grow more formidable.

A Harvard study of social movements and opposition to authoritarian regimes determined it takes 3.5% of a population to effectively change the direction of such regimes. The ‘3.5 Percent Rule’ study found “Nonviolent protests are twice as likely to succeed as armed conflicts – and those engaging a threshold of 3.5% of the population have never failed to bring about change.” No Kings Day came close to or exceeded that number, with many millions showing up. The key is the people must remain committed and courageous enough to persist.

Trump has always wanted to be respected and worshipped like a king. He wants recognition and has expressed a desire to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Who knows, when it is all said and done, it may be American protesters who win the Noble Peace Prize, not Trump.

 

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Veterans rush U.S. Capitol Steps and stage symbolic sit-in over deployment of active military to LA Streets. Screen grab: Iron Snowflake

Washington DC—Nearly 100 Veterans and a few supporters jumped over police barriers, pushed past Capitol Police lines, and took over the U.S. Capitol steps for about an hour on Friday. Video provided by journalist Iron Snowflake depicts the moment the group of Veterans surprised U.S. Capitol Police when they rushed over the metal fences and overwhelmed them. Capitol Police quickly called reinforcements but it was too late.

The action was partly in response to the President’s Military Parade which was to be held Saturday. The deployment of active duty troops in Los Angeles streets in the wake of ICE raids across Los Angeles was another reason for the action. The action was also in response to increasing wait times for Veterans benefits due to staffing and medical doctor reductions at VA healthcare locations across the country.

The U.S Capitol building video also shows police attempting to hard-arrest several of the Veterans as they ran towards the Capitol steps. One Veteran in his 80s, who is a Vietnam Era Veteran, was also arrested and placed in zip-ties. His walker was left behind as Capitol police escorted him away.

Veterans unfurled a giant 50 foot banner reading “Veterans Say Military Off Our Streets” as they sat on the steps. They also held smaller signs reading “Money For People Not Parades,” and “Benefits Not Bullshit.”

All the Veterans were later released after posting a fine and forfeiting their trial for trespassing on Federal property. None of the Veterans attempted to enter the U.S. Capitol proper.

On January 6, 2021, the same U.S. Capitol police force allowed several thousand far-right insurrectionists to break through windows, trespass through hallways and doors, and force their way into the House and Senate chambers. This occurred while the House was already in session to certify the State’s votes for the Presidential election that year as provided in the Constitution. None of the attempted coup participants were arrested that day, although one was shot and killed while attempting to break into the Democratic leadership office. U.S. Capitol police allowed all the insurrectionists to leave without arrest. After President Biden took office, FBI and DoJ investigations identified the insurrectionists involved and arrested, charged, and referred them to trial. Trump pardoned them.

The arrest of the Veterans on Saturday was comparatively much more in line with how U.S. Capitol Police normally enforce law when civilians push past their lines and onto the Capitol steps.

Dave Otto, one of those who observed and took part in the civil disobedience, wrote about why the Veterans were there in a blog post he titled ‘The Line We Chose To Cross.’ He compared the justice of the veterans’ civil disobedience to the injustice of the right-wing participants of the January 6, 2021 coup attempt.

“No one came to battle the Capitol Police, smear shit on the walls, or hang the Vice President. That was never the point. This wasn’t about theatrics or confrontation for its own sake. It was about bearing witness—to a future worth fighting for,” he wrote.

The banner and signs bespoke the obvious reasons for the civil disobedience. Veterans Benefits are being delayed because all throughout the Department of Veterans Affairs, doctors and staff are being cut. Veterans are also concerned about the Presidential activation of National Guard troops onto Los Angeles streets for an emergency created by the President’s own deployment of ICE there. ICE is rounding up thousands of migrants and green card holders and the central cause of chaos in cities throughout the U.S.

Veterans are also alarmed at the deployment of active military to conduct local law enforcement as a result of the ICE caused chaos. California Governor Gavin Newsome has filed suit over the activation of the Army National Guard without his authorization.

Otto described the Veterans group itself was diverse as the country should be, ”There were Cold War vets among us. Vietnam vets, an old fellow in a red shirt with a Ho Chi Minh quote on the back. Gulf War veterans and seasoned peace activists who knew this rhythm well. Those from the post-9/11 wars—it was something newer, something rawer. The war stories the younger vets carry are still hot to the touch.”

Veterans Action Warns Of Things To Come

Several hundred active duty Marines were deployed from Camp Pendleton to Downtown Los Angeles last week in response to protests, in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act, a statue signed into law in 1878, limiting the deployment of U.S. military forces on U.S. soil for domestic police enforcement.

According to a published report, the Marines reportedly detained an Army Veteran attempting to seek treatment at the Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare Center which is inside the Federal building they were guarding.

On Monday, a published story in the Guardian reported that benefits can be denied based on several discriminatory factors such as political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation. According to the report an Executive Order authorized the change to Veterans benefits accession.

Denial of Veterans based on political affiliations, marriage status, or sexual orientation is likely to be challenged in Court by Veterans Service Organizations.

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A Visibility Brigade banner over Route 50 in Northern Virginia was one of over 50 bridges bespectacled with ‘No Kings Day’ messages. Photo: John Zangas/DCMediaGroup

Northern Virginia—Over 50 bridges staffed by thousands of volunteers on Saturday for a day-long action upstaged Trump’s birthday parade by raining messages unfit for a king. The Visibility Brigades targeted freeway overpasses in the nation’s capital focused on rejecting his Red Square styled military parade. Tanks, Humvees, and armored vehicles tore up DC streets, with Helicopter flyovers, at a cost to taxpayers of over 45 million dollars.

The actions were carefully planned by We of Action (WofA) and coordinated over several months to reach thousands driving into Washington DC to watch the military display. After months of planning and rehearsals at bridges across Northern Virginia organizers felt they were onto something big which could reach 10s of thousands. Many others joined in by bringing their hand-made signs, flags, their spirit and zeal to support the national ‘No Kings Day’ protests. The action was not anti-Army or anti-Veteran but anti-King.

Other groups and individuals also took part in the multi-bridge action but were not available for comment as of publication. A similar action planned by Rise Up also took place in Maryland. The actions were part of a nationwide resistance campaign which has been growing in size and ferocity as the regime continues rolling out its post-constitutional policies.

Hundreds of passing motorists signified their approval by honking their horns as they passed. At one of the bridges a passing woman stopped to join them after seeing the banner. He young daughter brought a small piece of paper with a hand written note and she joined the banner line.

One of the operational volunteers said that these were unprecedented times which called for a significant and unique response. “This regime does not know how to govern so it tries to dictate,” said Lara C, a person speaking on behalf of the WofA Visibility Brigades. “There’s a little thing called the U.S. Constitution where there are three co-equal branches of government and there are no kings,” she said.

The local actions were a demonstration of the ability of grassroots groups and local citizens to coordinate complex, regionally distributed actions of scale. The organizers brainstormed over a series of in-person and online meetings to build the signage and plan the action. There were no incidents or arrests reported and organizers appraised local city officials of the actions before they occurred.

Although June 14 also falls on the U.S. Army 250th anniversary, there was no mistake that this military display was intended to steal the Army Birthday’s thunder from its Service-members and channel it to one man. He was after-all scheduled to be seated in an observation kiosk while the Army passed in review to honor him. No president has ever done this before on their birthday in the nation’s capital.

Lara C. pointed out that Visibility Brigades has also been showing up on area bridges since May for other significant events such as ICE raids and roundups, Medicaid and SNAP cuts, and Veterans healthcare. The Visibility Brigades had not coordinated as much a mass messaging event as it did today for No Kings Day.

Minnesota Senator Assassination Stirred Safely Concerns But Citizens Showed Up Anyway

The action went off as scheduled despite heightened security concerns over the assassination of one Minnesota State Senator and attempted assassination of another earlier on Saturday. Several bridge captains said they were on heightened alert but aside from the disappearance of banner letters from one of the bridges, there were no reports of incidents at any of the bridges.

Editor note: This story was amended to reflect more accurate Visibility Brigade participatory numbers as well as parade costs.

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“Veterans Benefits Not Parades”

Washington DC—Local grassroots groups have been rehearsing their measured response to Trump’s Stalinesque military ruck march slated for June 14. The military parade will tear up DC streets with Army tank squadrons, heavy military trucks, and Humvee vehicles, but the grassroots groups will be nowhere near it. Anyone traveling to Washington DC will get the first read on the people’s resistance messages along nearly every major highway bridge as they travel to watch the $54 million boondoggle.

The groups themselves will not be showing up to protest the military parade because they decided not to give Trump additional attention unlike the mainstream media. Attention is what he craves according to one of the organizers and spinning up any more energy for the military spectacle would only benefit him. So, they brainstormed ways to effectively undercut it with visibility brigades. The idea struck them as perfect for reaching 1000s several times a week to spread public consciousness of how chaotic and hurtful this regime is.

Some of the groups have already rehearsed the visibility brigades and driven under the bridges themselves so they know the messages will be visible from a distance with concise, impactful messages to the motorists passing by. DCMediaGroup joined them during one of their regular actions and many of the passing motorists honked frequently with approval.

According to organizers the message is to support the military Veterans but let them know many oppose Red Square sequels of tanks and armaments for a dictator in the U.S. capital. Another aim is to let those know who oppose it that there are many that believe it is inappropriate to celebrate a president’s birthday as if he were a king with a personal army. The organizers are not making a statement against the Army, they’re making a statement against this regime’s latest budget bill, which has yet to pass the Senate. If passed, the bill will hurt Veterans, Seniors on Medicare, families relying on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and the disabled who cannot work.

It will be the first time a president has ever held a military spectacle to celebrate their own birthday in the nation’s capital.

Organizers Built A Grassroots Organization Letter by Letter, Bridge by Bridge

Micaela Pond, Founder of We of Action (WofA), said “We started out as five on one bridge and quickly grew to 18 in a short time.” She described that they were being strategic about their messaging. She also said the group “was not anti-military but pro-democracy.” WofA began by calling itself “Women of Action” but changed the name to better reflect their more general demographic.

Pond also said that when you’re getting so many honks of approval “it’s like an elixir for your soul.” She remarked that a sister group “Rise Up” has also taken up the bridge banner action and will also drop banners throughout Maryland bridges on June 14. “We are here to save democracy—we don’t want kings,” she said.

Pond described how they assembled large 3-foot black background foam boards and affixed giant white letters they cut out from white foam boards. Each board had to be purchased with members own money. They held banner building parties to get ready.

Another WofA member, Christopher Adair, who is a law student and in his early 20s, helps WofA with their communications. He wanted to get more youth interested in civic engagement after the 2024 election disaster. He turned his shock and disappointment in the presidential election into action. He said that their first meeting drew hundreds of young voters out, and although his interest is fighting poverty, the Visibility Brigade was something that drew so much interest he was energized by it. He speaks passionately about what he has done working with WofA.

Lara C, one of the operational volunteers for the Visibility Brigades, found out about the group WofA while at a Tesla Takedown boycott line. She is a first generation Latina with a strong sense of social and moral justice.

She read off the 17 different messages the bridge banners will display from a spreadsheet she helped create. One bridge banner will read “No Kings,” another will read “Defend Rights Not Rulers.” She confirms there will be a lengthy presence at the bridges and shifts of teams will staff them. There is much planning and coordinating logistics with the bridge captains which has taken months to plan and organize.

One of the keys to succeeding is the modular and interchangeable styled lettering and placement along the different bridges. Having many letters means messaging can be refocused and reused. Every detail was carefully considered to make it work. She takes pride in her part. There are many others involved also. There are many parts to play. Her roll is key and she is thorough.

Aside from all that and perhaps the most important underlying reason for her being at the bridges, is her worry that the ICE roundups could target her personally as well as her friends because of their ethnicity. So she joined the banner drop actions because it felt to her like it was an effective action and it also felt empowering. She believes it will be making an important statement against the many ongoing unconstitutional actions and outright lies coming from this regime.

“Then They Came For A Union Leader” was rehearsed in Northern Virginia as a statement to the unlawful arrest and detention of David Huerta, the president of SEIU California, who was arrested by ICE during protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles. Photo: WofA

She repeated a quote from Gavin Newsom as her motivation to be out on the bridges, “The most important office is the office of the citizen.” She adopts it and repeats it as her own because it reminds her of what’s at stake as more democratic guardrails disappear every day.

She also admitted to printing several copies of her birth certificate and laminating them to wear around her neck because she was so disturbed about the ICE roundups playing out across the country. She is an American citizen but deeply mistrusts those involved in the unlawful ICE roundups, detentions, and removals to other countries without due process.

She says she is “mourning her country” and she wants her “country to work for everyone.” “Right now it’s working only for the elites and billionaires and the President’s Cabinet who are not even experts in their fields,” she says. “Doge is a landfill of white mediocrity,” she adds.

Editor’s note: Changes were made to clarify the name of the action to reflect ‘Visibility Brigades.’

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Arlington, VA—-On World Pride Day the Tesla Takedown boycott line spun resistance twirling rainbow parasols, wearing rainbow lei necklaces, and dancing to a resistance line-up of music over two synchronized speakers. If not for the commitment of the core team of rotating organizers and the continued zeal of the line, it’s likely the most successful corporate brand takedown in terms of diminished Tesla stock value and brand damage, would have fizzled out months ago. But it lives because the organizers and citizens persist.

The Pride theme was promised and delivered in lively color—as members of DC’s own grassroots collective Rainbow Defense Coalition joined forces with grassroots organizers of Third Act to bring the boycott back to Tesla on South Glebe Road for its 18th consecutive weekend. And the boycott line is not close to getting monotonous as evidenced in the weekly video report below.

A member of Rainbow Defense Coalition dressed up as ‘Rainbow Spartacus’ with a giant “Honk” sign over their head to draw in the passing motorists. And honk they did. The noise was at times deafening. For those who opened car windows, several passed out some of Bob’s coveted hand-made protest buttons and urged them to join the fight against an elected party gone rogue-fascist all over democracy. Some drivers promised to join the Tesla Takedown next week.

The Tesla Takedown in Arlington has the strategic advantage of a nearby traffic light periodically stopping motorists and giving the line an opportunity to do community outreach about why they are there. Many drivers already understand and pass by with a thumbs up blowing their horns. Their 10-second horn blows may be the only act of resistance they commit to in this country’s period of peril. But there are still drivers who have yet to understand what is at stake. So the brief reaching out provides an opportunity to inform them with short message flyers and resistance buttons.

The Tesla Takedown boycott line danced in the heat decked out in rainbow radiance under a billowing white-cloud sky in a party-like atmosphere but it was no time to celebrate. The heat was almost overwhelming and the tensions across the country are leading to a moment of truth about when and where citizens will confront the State directly. Also the George Soros checks didn’t come in the mail; at least that’s what everyone there reported.

Tesla Takedowns Fueled by Continued National Events which Energize Resistance

All over the country realization set in that the country crossed the Rubicon into fascism as the ICE round ups went into high gear, disappearing thousands without due process, and taking them to undisclosed locations. Citizens in LA, NYC and Minneapolis, began confronting ICE and local police. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the California Army National Guard to active duty. But such orders usually take days to carry out. Hegseth also threatened to deploy the Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton to LA streets, to which California Governor Gavin Newsome responded, “This is deranged behavior.”

Federalizing Army National Guard Troops without coordination with the States’ Governors, the highest ranking person authorized in the State to carry out such an act, is one thing, but placing active duty Marines on the streets to confront citizens exercising First Amendment rights is in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act,an 1897 law limiting the Federal Government’s authority to use Federal troops to enforce domestic laws and statutes.

ICE Roundups Across Country Trigger Protests And Cascade To Tesla Takedowns

If there remained any doubt that a functioning democracy had already died here then anyone still doubting it had missed their 10th grade high school history class covering this part of history and the historic context of the ICE raids now ongoing in their communities.

Anne Frank wrote in her diary on January 13, 1943, as she observed from her window from the attic above the street, issuing a warning to the future, “Terrible things are happening. Poor helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. Families are torn apart. Men. women, and children are separated. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared.” The date may as well have been June 7, 2025.

The ICE arrests and disappearances of 1000s every week are a trigger to escalating street confrontations and are building towards something more likely than not that will spark more serious unrest. The current confrontations are driving the Tesla Takedowns to continue as well.

The public meltdown of the bromance between Trump and Musk early in the week seems like ancient history compared to the ICE mass arrests. But it has also kept Musk in a negative news light with an edge of hilarity. It also tanked Tesla stock value by 14% in one day.

The Trump Regime Won’t Stop Once The Migrants Are All Disappeared

The Tesla Takedowns have every reason to continue for those who want to resist Trump and Musk but aren’t so much into police lines, concussion grenades, rubber bullets, and tear gas. But one could also argue that those seeing terrible things happen to their family members, as Anne Frank wrote, watching the men, women, and children disappear at the hands of ICE, without due process or a day in court, didn’t just pick up decide to confront ICE. ICE sought them out. The regime called ICE under the supposition that brown people were criminals but also, in defiance of the Constitution, it didn’t allow them Habeas Corpus, or the opportunity to defend themselves to prove otherwise in court, because if they were in fact criminals the regime would have published the offenses in a court of law.

This fledgling regime could find any reason it wanted to go after other groups of people like citizen protesters defying it. It could easily go after those in the Tesla Takedowns or the bridge banner drops or journalists or the minorities so far spared. It just needs to find an excuse to do it. Eventually an authoritarian regime goes after anyone or anything that doesn’t conform or attacks anything it perceives is in its way.

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A rainbow sign reading “Love is Love,” was attached to the metal fence erected around Dupont Circle.

Washington DC—

Saturday Morning Update:

The $200,000 metal fence barricading Dupont Circle, Wash DC, site of the annual #WorldPride gala, is being removed due to “public safety” yet another example of the Trump regime backtracking from its flawed policies. On Saturday morning, National Park Service ordered its contractor to remove it less than one day after it had erected it. The removal followed intense advocacy by local groups such as Free DC Project, local ANC representatives, and many others.

Friday Afternoon:

The National Park Service set up 8-foot metal fences and gates blocking entrances to Dupont Circle Park on Friday beginning at 4 am. Dupont Circle Park is the site of the annual Gay Pride celebrations which are to begin Saturday, June 7. The National Park Service police were nearby supervising the contractor who was reportedly paid $200,000 to put up the metal fencing and gates. The same contractor will be installing the metal fencing and gates for the Trump birthday military parade on June 14, next week.

Pride organizers were caught off-guard by the last minute development. The contractor was nearly finished setting up the last gate as of Friday afternoon, entirely blocking off access to the Park, one day before the World Pride Celebrations were to begin.

As word of the barricade spread, a group of bikers mobilized and rode around the circle. They chanted “Take down the fence!” and shook cowbells while they rode. Others took photos of the fencing which also blocked the sidewalk circling the park.

Dupont Circle Park is in a trendy section of Washington DC, and is overseen by the National Park Service, which falls under the responsibility of the Department of Interior, a branch of the Federal Government. The central part of the park is a white marble Memorial to Rear Admiral Samuel Francis Dupont, surrounded by a white marble fountains.

It was 50 years ago this week that Gay Pride held its first celebration outside a bookstore named “Lambda Rising” which was then the symbolic greek letter of for gay-friendly establishments. In 1975 about 2000 attended the celebration. By 2010 over 250,000 took part in June weekend celebrations which eventually became known as Pride month.

During the last half-century, the park has seen multiple generations of the LGBTQIA community celebrating their orientation at its water fountains, the gathering point after the annual Gay Pride Parade. And in that time it has grown to a national event. But this June it was planned to be an unfettered international event, until the authoritarian forces began oppressing minority groups, such as migrants, trans military service-members, and muslims from 14 countries.

A few rainbow pinwheels managed to remain inside the metal gates, and were spinning in the wind, likely put up earlier in the week before the contractor began installing the fence. The pinwheels remained inside the fence as of Friday night but it was unlikely that there would be any Pride celebration inside Dupont Circle park this year.

In past years the park has been the scene of a massive collective of convergent humanity celebrating its early 1970s birthright of freedom of expression, of oppressed people come out, to be as they are, without fear or shame.

The metal gated fence is an exact replica of the metal fencing put up outside the White House during the 2020-21 National protests in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by Mineapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin.

In June 2020, thousands rejected the fence and turned it into a protest statement and public referendum on police violence across the country. A 24-hours grassroots protest grew out of the movement for Black Lives Matter. Thousands left photos, signs and banners attached to the fence, turning it into a protesting zone and later, a shrine, lasting until Trump was ousted six months later.

One rainbow sign had been attached to the Dupont Circle Park fence by 5 pm, reading “Love Is Love,” but more were expected to be attached to the fence as the weekend wore on.

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The Pentagon. Photo from files: ©️ DCMediaGroup

Editor’s note about the author:  Lex King is a Department of Defense employee, who was involved in multiple diversity groups and cultural celebrations. They are writing under a pen name to avoid retaliation. Their views are their own and not the Department of Defense.

First, they grounded the Tuskegee Airmen. Then, they silenced the Code Talkers.

They swatted the WASPs, sold the Enola Gay for scrap metal, and chiseled away one of the men at the center of the Marine Corps Memorial.

For someone so concerned about lethality, the only things Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth seems interested in attacking are multicultural potlucks. Thus far, he’s banned military academies from using affirmative action, ordered defense agencies to review their libraries for ‘woke’ books, and kicked openly trans service members from the ranks. Not to mention, the Department’s digital content refresh, which scrubbed any material promoting DEI from official websites and social media accounts.

Unfortunately, Hegseth has repeatedly failed to clearly define what he considers DEI, and in the rush to comply, agencies erased some of America’s most distinguished service members…all while repeating the importance of “meritocracy.” The Red Tails are remembered for their role in racial equality, but they’re also remembered as one of the most successful bomber escort squadrons of World War II. They should be the prime example of meritocracy. Instead, they were briefly wiped from course curriculum of Air training programs.

Those mishaps expose Hegseth’s true motive. He believes in meritocracy—as long as the meritorious individuals are straight white men. Anyone else isn’t an example, but a threat.

Hegseth and fellow members of Trump’s cabinet painted diversity programs as divisive and wasteful. That extended to observance months, like Hispanic Heritage Month and Pride Month, which Hegseth canceled in the inflammatory memo, “Identity Months Dead at DoD.” Some components took it a step further; a leaked memo from the Pentagon’s intelligence agency also canceled events related to two federal holidays: MLK Jr. Day and Juneteenth. This memo release was reported in the New York Times and by AP.

Federal holidays are established in law by Congress. They all go through the same voting process and have the same status, yet as we near Memorial Day, a telling trend is unfolding. If observance months and federal holidays were truly a fiscal responsibility issue as claimed, then all 11 federal holidays would be treated the same. No social media posts. No workforce emails. No guest speakers, or celebrations, or other commemorations.

Yet on May 23, DoD published an article on their news page, “Patriotic Military Events Planned for Memorial Day Weekend at Coca-Cola 600 Race.” The very same type of article that had been commonplace for Juneteenth, before it was banned.

To be clear, I don’t believe the Department is inherently wrong for recognizing Memorial Day. They absolutely should, just as they should afford equal treatment to all 11 federal holidays. Hosting a Memorial Day event while banning MLK Jr. Day and Juneteenth, when all three days share the exact same designation, is treating the events differently based solely on “DEI.”

What do Juneteenth and MLK Jr. Day have in common? The advancement of civil rights, the reflection on past wrongdoings, and the celebration of Black culture. Let’s cut through the smoke and mirrors. These holidays were targeted due to racial prejudice. Three events, all with the same status in U.S law, received different treatment due to a protected characteristic—textbook discrimination. It may not violate the letter of equal opportunity law, since it’s aimed at an activity and not a person, but it certainly violates the spirit of it, and it leaves a dark shadow hanging over the 2025 Memorial Day observances.

In previous years, hallowed, sacred days like Memorial Day were spent in quiet reflection, humility, and gratitude. They felt heavy with the weight of sacrifice. This year, it’s heavy with something else: Tension.

When Arlington National Cemetery scraped diversity-related content from its website, it seemed like even our most venerated veterans were under attack once again. At the very same cemetery, one can stand—as I have many times—outside the amphitheater and watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony. Sentinels from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment have guarded the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every minute of every day since 1937. They even remained at their posts when black smoke poured from the Pentagon on 9/11. It’s one of the most prestigious assignments in the U.S. military, yet Sentinels don’t wear a rank. That way, they never outrank the individuals entombed.

Hegseth clearly knows the importance of the Tomb of the Unknown. He’s participated in wreath layings there before. But here’s what he seems to be missing: the Sentinels don’t know the names of the Unknowns. They don’t know their stories. They certainly don’t know what they looked like, and it doesn’t matter. Their devotion to the memorial remains steadfast, regardless of these details.

None of us know the Unknown’s heritage, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Right now, maybe that’s a good thing.

After all, if their lives don’t align with Hegseth’s distorted view of a meritocracy, how far would he go to make the Unknowns truly, completely, unknown?

 

The post The Myth of Meritocracy: Diversity will Never Die appeared first on DCMediaGroup.

Three friends of many years join the Tesla Takedown. Photo: John Zangas/DCMediaGroup

Arlington, Va—As the weekly Saturday boycott line began winding down, Lawrence MacDonald read a list of issues over a bullhorn to about 50 who were compelled to return to week 17 of the Arlington Tesla Takedown. “Medicaid! he shouted, “Hands Off!” the group responded. “Social Security!” “Hands off!” they repeated. “Due process!…” He continued down his mental list of the many government agencies, services, and rights already hacked to pieces by Musk’s so called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and after each one they respond as if dutifully bound, “Hands off!” When he ran out of issues others shouted their reasons for being there. This went on for a while.

In the street behind them, passing motorists continued honking and partially drowning out their replies. A truck blasted its airhorn drowning them out altogether for a few moments. Someone cheered back, “Woooo Hoooo!” This delayed MacDonald’s closing comments further but gave an opening for others to speak.

With the passing months, the motorists have gotten much more into the mix of people dancing with joy, waving and cheering, reading the signs and their weekly Tesla Takedown boycott message outside the showroom on South Glebe Road. Many motorists seem to expect them to be there and have laid the sauce on thick with honking and thumbs up, sometimes disturbing the residents nearby.

Recently a resident came out to ask them to keep the noise down because he had guests to visit and lived right across from the Tesla. Someone from the boycott line threaded their response between polite and rude that the country was facing an authoritarian takeover and a little disruption while they were fighting it in the streets wasn’t going to do him or his guests any longterm harm such as this regime would do him. He left flustered. The Tesla Takedowns have continued.

Another tall muscular man they call Gus, took the bullhorn next and had something important to tell them. He had been watching youtube videos of Serbia protests. He compared the Tesla Takedowns to the actions long-standing protests in Serbia where its citizens are fighting the populist government of President Aleksandar Vucic and its crackdown on students and university professors opposing his strong arm dismantle of democratic freedoms. “Those folks out there are just relentless. They’re making a difference by getting out there every day. They’re persevering and that’s what its all about,” he said.

He also said this Telsa Takedown had the most honks of any location he had been to. He urged them to keep coming and get more to join by passing out flyers inviting others to join.

Others were doing more than their part aside from showing up. They brought friends with them. One lady in her 70s brought two friends in her age group, their long grey hair belying their age. Others much younger stood just up the line from them. It was their first time at a Tesla Takedown.

A man who runs a fulfillment business brought eight bags of his pin-up buttons which he said makes by hand, offering them free to anyone who wanted them. They cost him 50 cents a piece but he brings hundreds which are given to motorists who stop to say thanks. Bob, as they refer to him, wears his baseball cap with the buttons neatly displayed around its brim. “Have you tried my newest button edition?” he asked. It depicts a cartoon image of clown-like Trump dressed in an orange crown and a red X over his face.

Others have printed hand flyers and bumper stickers for anyone who stoped and opened their window to accept them. One of the stickers depicted a coiled snake and reads, ‘They’re Already Treading on You, Sweetie’ a poke to the Libertarians who pass by to join the line.

Tesla Takedowns Met Their Objectives

Much has come as a result of the Tesla Takedown boycott lines. They are continuing far longer than anyone imagined they would and they have been far more influential on the downfall of Tesla brand and its corporate reputation than anyone imagined they would be.

A published report in Electrek, a news and site that tracks and analyzes the transition from fossil-fuel transport to electric transport, reported a large Danish Construction Company Tschening, is returning its entire fleet of Tesla electric vehicles over Musk’s political association with Trump. The company CEO stated his company did not want to be “associated with the values and political direction that currently accompany the Tesla brand,” according to the report.

Tesla sales are down sharply globally even though the global demand and market for electric vehicles is growing as many begin to transition from fossil fuels to electric sources for their transportation.

A published report in Carscoops said Tesla sales for the month of February dropped 76% in Germany, 72% in Australia, and 66% in the European Union. China reported a 50% drop in sales during this period.

ElecTrek reported Tesla sales in the U.S. were down sharply even by its own standards; a drop of 15%, with a “record of inventory not seen in years.” The report further indicated that the reason sales were off so much was due to “brand damage” during the first quarter .

A story in TC said that Tesla’s attorneys had filed a warning with the Securities and Exchange Exchange Commission in April that “negative perceptions resulting from the protests, along with the broader criticism of the company, “may harm our brand and our business (including sales) and make it more difficult to raise additional funds if needed.”

And a story published in Truthout, told of how Tesla EV company saw a 71% drop in profit since the beginning of 2025 in part due to the onset of Tesla Takedown protests outside its showrooms.

In the Bulwark on Substack, Johnathan V. Mask wrote, “The anti-Tesla movement is one of the most successful cases of social coordination in American history. In the span of six months the Tesla brand has been made radioactive.“

Tesla Takedown Purpose is Evolving

But many are coming to realize a key fact about the Tesla Takedowns which has slowly come into focus over the past two months. They are about much more than attempting to damage Elon Musk’s reputation and separate him from his money. It was easy in the early days for boycotters to say that when all this began. When Musk’s DOGE government interlopers forced themselves past security protocols, accessed the information held in the Federal arm of government, and removed Federal workers, the issues spurring the boycott lines were straightforward. Now things are different. They’re more complicated.

In the balance of this failing democracy hangs the liberty and rights of individuals weighed against the increasing wealth of the ultra rich like Musk. Taking down Tesla’s brand by handfuls of citizens resisting Musk and his DOGE team was their initial response. But now their purpose has morphed.

This Doge intrusion into and removal of government data, and illegal shutdown of many government services, terrible as it was, seems diminished in many ways compared to what is happening now.

The Tesla Takedowns are in fact evolving and their purpose is becoming even more important. This is because the last liberal guardrail of checks and balances of power standing is the Judiciary branch itself and it is imperiled as it is beginning to fail to hold the Trump regime to account.

Bedrock constitutional rights such as Habeas Corpus, the rights of U.S. Citizens to have public due process—to appear in court—to know their charges, to understand why they are being detained, and to be provided legal defense, are being denied to migrants and citizens alike. These are bedrock principles of the U.S. Constitution. This is happening to migrants workers and students as well who have green cards and are well on their way to citizenship.

Birthright citizenship rights are also being swept aside by the Trump regime with its growing hunger for power. And the regime is now ignoring or gaslighting many rulings of U.S. District Court Judges and even the Supreme Court on these issues. This threatens to sweep aside Judicial power altogether.

The bedrock ruling of the 1803 SCOTUS ruling in Marbury v. Madison, established that the Supreme Court was vested with the power and the final say of interpreting the constitutionality of law. Trump said he did not know if he was required to uphold the constitution, even though he twice took such an oath to do so on January 20, 2017 and on January 20, 2025.

The talk at the Tesla Takedown boycott line reflects a growing sense of unease that there’s much more at stake at the boycott lines than just Musk, his EV sales, and Tesla stock values. The boycott line is beginning to accept that they will be among those in the last guardrail checking the Trump regime power takeover in the U.S. government

The people are the last guardrail of power balance in any democratic government. What they decide to do about it will be the next chapter written in this country’s history.

The post Citizens Persist at Tesla Takedowns; Pace For Long Race Hard Road appeared first on DCMediaGroup.

Chester an affectionate mascot has joined the Tesla Takedown boycott line. Photo: J. Zangas/DCMG

Arlington, VA—The DC Maryland and Virginia community refuses to stop their weekly stands outside Elon Musk’s Tesla Electric Vehicle Company showrooms. Their efforts to cast the car company in an unfavorable light has succeeded far beyond their initial hopes in February when handfuls of them first stood in cold weather with their hand made signs and their will.

Their boycott lines have catapulted from social media and into the mainstream media talkshows. They have affected Tesla sales, damaged its stock value, by spreading their boycott message across the country. Their boycott message has also spread internationally to the European Union and to Australia.

They showed up again on Saturday and Sunday this weekend for the “sweet sixteenth” week. One man brought his dog, they affectionately named Chester, who is in his sixth week of coming to the Tesla Takedowns. He gets plenty of pets and has assumed his place as a mainstay. Another person who barely escaped an oppressive regime with their parents has brought their son, an early 20-something youth just out of college and exposed to resistance for the first time. Someone brought their child to the boycott line. Others bring food, water, snacks and sign-making materials. Another has brought protest buttons they made to distribute to passing motorists. Someone else brought flyers to encourage others to join the boycott line.

They are driven in part by escalating incidents of harassment from the regime and its acolytes against resisters. Judges, law firms, universities, Federal agencies and the leadership, and institutions that have stood up against Trump have become targets of retribution. This has destabilized democratic institutions hut has also fueled the resistance of the boycott lines to continue their repeated Tesla showroom protests.

They are also compelled by a sense of justice and compassion for others who are suffering from the abuse of power by this regime. The Trump regime wants to break institutions by force, demoralize the vulnerable by abusing them, and instill fear by creating chaos where the rule of law previously guided social order. The Tesla Takedowns are much more than anything else about ordinary citizens with no other connection other than their humanity, fighting for a just society. So they show up with zeal, find humor and express bonafide joy, and encourage others to keep going.

Three political scientists wrote in a New York Times op ed that the US had “Crossed the line into competitive authoritarianism.” But to the boycott lines the evidence of an inexorable march to full-blown fascist state was plainly visible months ago. It’s just that the mainstream media cannot acknowledge it or refuses to waken to this fact.

The odd collection of ordinary citizens come from most every walk of life—Boomers, Millennials, X-Gens, and Zoomers have all shown up—and here and there members of the late Silent generation have joined the boycott lines. Because they remember life in the world when Hitler lived and nearly brought the world destruction to Europe, The Middle East, and Asia.

Tesla Takedowns offer them a few hours to share their thoughts and vent about what is happening to their government and communities. They look forward to seeing each other and sharing ideas about what to do next. They network about other grassroots groups taking actions elsewhere. Some of these groups represent organic community resistance just like the Tesla Takedowns. Some of them have come to the afternoon Tesla Takedown at Arlington after first having gone to another action elsewhere earlier it the day. And it takes a toll on them physically and emotionally. They feel they have no choice but to keep fighting because there’s so much at stake. To quit now means to accept defeat.

All around the country there are similar actions taking place led by citizens just like them. They see the posts, photos, and videos on social media. It also fuels their fire to keep going. Locally there are other groups doing much of what they are doing, just in different ways. It drives them like a locomotive.

There’s a group linking up during rush hour to hang banners and signs from bridges with messages the passing drivers understand. “No Kings,” is hung from I-395, “Moms Say Save Medicaid And Snap,” hangs over Route 50, “Honk,” reads yet another. They are composed of giant interchangeable block lettered signs strung together like giant billboard signs and held in place by bungee cords. And they play their part in some way—even if the only act of resistance that the passing motorists do that week is to honk at a sign in approval. Seeing others taking a stand is something they’re going to remember later in the week and perhaps they’ll join in to hang signs from the bridges. The organizers say this is how their numbers have grown by hundreds since February.

Another group stands in for Drag Queen Story Hour to provide a citizen-led neighborhood watch against trouble from religious extremists and Proud Boy groups that have previously harassed the Drag Queens and families who were attending the readings. These groups also meet weekly.

Yet another group has been protesting outside the El Salvador Embassy in downtown Washington DC over that country’s illegal incarceration of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Abrego is a green card holder, married to an American citizen, and in the process of gaining his US citizenship. Yet he was still disappeared by ICE without due process, flown to El Salvador, and locked up in dungeon conditions at CECOT, a notorious concentration camp.

A group is gathering at the court house in Maryland protesting against the arrest of migrants without given due process, held indefinitely without habeas corpus, as constitutionally required. And these are not one off cases—there are many of these cases winding through the courts, perhaps 1000s, no one knows for sure because ICE is not releasing information about where they are or who they are.. There have also been several children born in the U.S. to migrants and by constitutional authority ought to and should be deemed American citizens, yet they have been arrested by ICE too.

So these issues compel the weekend Tesla Takedowns and the other weekly actions to continue because there are so many issues created by this regime. And the issues are getting more blatant as the regime gets more desperate with its diminishing support percentages based on polling.

The Tesla Takedowns serve as a way for the citizens to find stable ground and organize themselves to ready for worsening conditions likely to come as the regime continues its assault on what is left of individual rights and democratic institutions.

But much more importantly, the boycott lines are being acknowledged as having a devastating effect on the bromance between two of the world’s most famous narcissists, Trump and Musk.

According to Sherrilyn Iffyl, a civil rights attorney, writing in her substack blog, “the bromance” between Trump and Musk, “is over.” She further writes that their “rift was caused, it appears, by some combination of Elon’s arrogance…Trump’s recognition that Elon’s unpopularity was potentially dragging down his poll numbers…[and] the press questioning whether Elon was serving in fact as a shadow president – an affront to Trump’s massive ego.”

Iffyl notes in particular that the Tesla Takedowns have taken hold and fanned the flames of regret among jTrump and his cabinet that Musk was welcomed as an integral part.

“Most of all the #TeslaTakedown protests were particularly effective. Trump likes a winner and the death of Tesla as a marquee brand as a result of these wide-ranging protests made Elon toxic for Trump. Springing up organically in communities throughout the country, these overwhelmingly non-violent protests outside Tesla dealerships were populated by midwestern grandmas, middle-aged men and women on the coasts, college students, Gen Zs, and suburban Moms and Dads across the country. Even more powerfully, the protests took on an international dimension, with Tesla Takedown protests extending to Europe and Australia.

“The protests have been so far reaching and sustained that Musk’s ego would not allow him to believe that people can hate him that much. His insistence that protesters must have been paid to participate in demonstrations is a testament to the cluelessness of a man who would think it was hilarious to brandish a chainsaw while giggling manically in glee at how effectively he has slashed and burned the jobs that form the livelihood for of the American workforce. Yes, Elon, people who need their jobs to survive, who want medicine, believe in science, support equal rights and justice, and most of all want to believe that when they are too old or ill to work, their country will not consign them to destitution and homelessness with no health care, really do hate you that much,” she wrote.

Tesla protesters often joke among themselves about whether or not anyone has received their weekly Soros checks but so far no one has come forward with one. They joke that they still hold out hope for their compensation. The reality is that there will never be remuneration.

Someone has to pay for the gas and the supplies, the wear and tear on the cars getting them from point to point. It’s costs are out of pocket for everyone involved. There’s no funding and no funds to draw from. Nothing is free. And time on the line means other life priorities get pushed aside. Its the price they willingly pay for a chance to hasten this regime’s downfall to the dustbin of history.

The post Tesla Takedown Continues To Week Sixteen; Citizens Undeterred appeared first on DCMediaGroup.

Mothers stand against fascism at TeslaTakedown Arlington VA. Photo: J. Zangas / DCMediaGroup

Arlington, VA—Mothers everywhere will be beaming with pride as their grown children return home bringing flowers for Mother’s Day weekend. Though flowers are a nice gesture, doing something with Mom like cooking dinner or taking her out is another way to say ‘I love you’ on Mother’s Day. But going to a local Tesla showroom with your children to fight fascism? Well, maybe.

After all, Mother’s Day is that one special day set aside to celebrate Moms and all they did to help us grew to adulthood; readying us for school, getting the supplies we needed, helping with our homework, preparing nearly 6580 dinners through the last high school year. Then there were the many times we got sick or needed reassurance through a hard time and it was Mom who was the one that was there for us more than anyone else. Then there were the talks and admonitions during difficult times of growing up when we went astray and the hard wisdom Mom gave us which we often did not fully grasp until years later when we appreciated and understood that wisdom.

On Mother’s Day weekend 2025, Mother’s wisdom continued with push back against fascism at the Tesla Takedown in Arlington, Virginia. That too may be another way Mom says ‘I love you’ as this is a dark time when we need assurance and wisdom. And who else knows more about life’s ups and downs and the wisdom to overcome hardship than someone who gave us our first breath?

Our democratic institutions and rights are being whittled away by the authoritarian regime currently trying its best to destroy the institutions and family support systems and Mothers everywhere depend on these to help their families navigate a society growing more difficult and complex with every year. This regime is cutting or attempting to cut Medicare, Social Security, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and many Federal agencies that provide services that help communities remain economically stable, healthy and safe. There are many facing cuts but some of them include the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Health and Human Services, Department of Education, U.S. Agency for International Development, and the National Institute for Health. And Mothers both here and abroad need these services to raise children.

But what is the history of Mother’s Day and why is it so important, especially in 2025? Mother’s Day was conceived primarily by three women, mainly. Ann Reeves Jarvis, who was an activist who organized women’s clubs to help with sanitary conditions in Appalachia in the 1860s. She also focused on the high infant mortality rate and worked to create better conditions for families and children. Julia Ward Howe worked towards peace and eradication of war with a Mother’s Day for Peace day after the Civil War. In 1905, Anna Javis wished to memorialize her own mother and all mothers on a special day. She reached out to organizations and influential people, lobbying for a Mother’s Day holiday and in 1914 President Woodrow Wilson recognized it by signing a bill into law designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

So it was Mothers who also showed up today and stood in for us for Mother’s Day weekend. It’s what Mothers do and have always done.

Some Mothers also brought their children with them to the Tesla Takedown because mothers understand that sustaining a family isn’t just providing daily meals, clothing, or mother’s assurance. Children learn how to survive by an example of how to live and stand up for what is right. Because mothers also teach hard to understand lessons which children may not understand until years later when that wisdom blossoms.

And so the Mothers brought their children to show them how they must stand in for the just society they want and need to survive. They also brought placards and magic markers for their children as if it were a homework assignment to make signs for the passing motorists to honk in support of their messages. One Mom brought her homemade baked chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, enough for everyone to have as many as they wanted.

This Mothers Day the Mothers instructed their children on what one must do to stand up and fight against a regime entranced with its own power and greed. And the children may not yet fully grasp what they learned today. But who knows, maybe children are far more understanding today than children of decades ago. The children know that something isn’t right by the determined look on their Mothers’ faces.

This regime needs no reintroduction because regimes of this nature are typical, unimaginative and boring. Regimes are also the mark of unhealthy societies, ruled by the misguided and the selfish within those societies. They have historically tried and failed at governance too many times to count. This regime will fail too and when it does, it will because of Mothers standing in. Mothers are the antidote to regimes because they are guided towards family and naturally giving of themselves to raise others.

It was a sunny day and the weather was not too cold and too hot and there was not a cloud anywhere from horizon to horizon. And it was a perfect Mother’s Day for teaching children how to stand up for themselves and for a just society.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms standing in to fight this regime.

The post Moms Teach Children How To Fight Fascism at Tesla Takedown on Mother’s Day appeared first on DCMediaGroup.

Tesla Takedown week 14. Photo: J.Zangas / DCMediaGroup

Arlington, VA—Word was passed among the Tesla boycotters earlier this week not to tread on the Arlington Tesla’s dirt surface because the company was laying new mulch. So on week 14 of the boycott actions the line stayed off the new mulch out of respect for the business operation. As they have done for the last 3 1/2 months, boycotters brought their hand-painted signs, many of which were new as last week’s action was soaked by a storm.

Those who think the Tesla Takedowns are just about taking down Tesla stock values and separating Elon Musk from his capital have missed the point of Tesla Takedowns. The actions themselves have become more important with each passing week because the Trump regime’s insatiable lust for power has expanded and cannot be constrained. The recent disappearance of migrants and American citizens without due process afforded under the law during a court hearing demonstrates that.

The Tesla Takedown actions are grassroots organized with horizontal support volunteers and no hierarchy or funding. There is a short list of standards they have agreed to follow. One is that they don’t verbally challenge or verbally attack Tesla customers, they don’t block the driveway, and they are respectful of drivers who oppose them, although there are very few. Most drivers passing by honk in support of the boycott or give a thumbs up, or stop to talk when the traffic light is red. Participants hand out buttons and ask them to join. Some have even joined the action. Another standard is that they encourage each other through joy and lightheartedness despite the bad news reports because fascism and authoritarianism thrive on fear, dread, and silence, so demonstrating its opposites, courage, joy, and vocal opposition, are themselves forms of resistance. They are also revolutionary acts because they are contagious and they work. Many who return say they look forward to the next time they can come.

This has created a family friendly event and an atmosphere where a variety of diverse groups are welcomed to the boycott. Many have brought their spouses, grandchildren, dogs, while spending a few weekend hours to do “community service” which they have come to describe as fighting a fascist regime.

The Tesla Takedowns are fun though there’s a lot at stake, much more than there was when the Tesla Takedowns first began. The participants discuss amongst themselves the current crisis and how democratic governments like this one are in reality quite vulnerable to the rise of an authoritarian, given the right circumstances. One sign someone is holding quotes a passage from ‘Diary of Anne Frank’ warning about people being disappeared or “kidnapped” in the night, as the sign’s holder describes. It is now the same reality here in the U.S.. Another sign warns of the dangers that befell Germany when the Third Reich came to power, when many waited for others to act. It too is now the same reality here in the U.S.. But Tesla Takedown boycott line aims to intervene in some way even if it is not through direct action.

One participant came for the first time on Sunday. He said he didn’t know what else he could do but he wanted to do something. It was his first time at a street action.

The Tesla Takedown boycott lines are mostly targeting one man, the worlds richest man, who has with his special government employee Doge team, dismantled the operations of the U.S. Federal agencies and in many cases, illegally removed or dismissed without authorization, 10s of thousands of its workers. Through Doge, Musk has also created chaos in the Federal government and in the U.S. Judicial system. But the boycotters are also and indirectly targeting the Trump regime, because Musk has enabled its power grab as it has sought to control the three branches of government by bullying its way to power.

Over 80 cases are weaving their way through U.S. Federal District Courts, with Appeal Courts, and the Supreme Court also issuing rulings. Musk and his Doge team has triggered these cases and appeals and temporary restraining orders; orders which the Trump Regime, vis-a-vis the Department of Justice, has stalled the implementation of by delaying, failing to comply with, or by ignoring the orders altogether.

All this has cumulatively caused incalculable damage to the democratic system of government. American citizens depending on normal governance, operating processes, and services of government, have been affected in many ways. At stake are the safety, benefits, rights, and even the liberty itself of every American citizen. The full effects of the loss of these has not yet come into full focus.

Tesla Takedowns are targeting Elon Musk because he has bragged about deconstructing the Federal government and destroying its operations and the economic livelihoods of tens of thousands of Federal workers. Musk has in effect enabled Trump by doing with Doge what Trump himself and his cabinet could not do alone.

Trump hired Musk to destroy democratic institutions and the bedrock of government infrastructure after Musk donated millions to his election campaign. Americans did not vote for Musk to take down the Federal government or enable Trump to gain so much authority over it to take away freedom and liberty as well.

Recently Musk appeared on a talk show to complain about the unfairness of those opposing him outside his Tesla showrooms. He complained about vandalism to several of his showrooms and cars in the U.S. and in Europe, without acknowledging the true destruction to the country he and Doge have caused.

Tesla Takedown boycott line participants discuss these issues and understand what is at stake. They discuss the issues and share information about other events coming up and encourage others to join.. They encourage each other to keep showing up despite the spate of reports that services and liberty are quickly being whittled away, They act like a swarm of Canada geese encouraging each other to continue. This is why they keep returning to Tesla showrooms. And even though Musk has recently disappeared into the shadows, unable to face the immense backlash against him, they keep returning, three days a week.

They say they aren’t leaving but it is likely they won’t be out there for good.

When they say they aren’t leaving they don’t mean they are remaining there at Tesla Takedowns permanently. They mean their energy, spirit, and effort will be to challenge Elon Musk wherever and wherever he shows up. They aren’t going anywhere.

The post Tesla Takedown Boycott Holds The Line At Showroom In Arlington VA appeared first on DCMediaGroup.

Tesla Takedown boycott line continued for week 13 in Arlington VA—this time in the rain. Photo: J. Zangas/ DCMediaGroup

Arlington, VA—Rain, wind, mud, drenched clothes, and soggy shoes at the Arlington, Tesla Takedown boycott line did little to prevent the die-hards from completing their weekly Tesla Takedown community service. On week 13 they danced even better in the rain than they did before skies opened up on them.

Sign lettering and sharpie messages ran and faded with the poring rain, ruining most of the colorful hand-made signs but it didn’t matter to the activists who continued dancing and encouraging passing motorists to blow their horns. Some signs appeared to be bleeding, a metaphorical statement to the state of affairs in the U.S. government at the hands of the Trump regime.

The soaking rain brought out some introspection from activists on why they were there. “Comfort and Revolution don’t go together,” said Nadine Seller, a mainstay known for her colorful cursive spray-painted banners. Soaked and undaunted, she ruminated those who continue to visit the Tesla showrooms. But her rumination may be short-lived as Tesla stock continues to founder.

From the bullhorn, Lawrence MacDonald rallied those assembled with insight on what they were doing and why they were outside the Tesla showroom. “Elon Musk says he’s stepping back from destroying our society and country. Is that what we’re doing?” he asked the protesters. “No!”, they responded.
How about ‘hell no!,” he retorted. “Hell no!” they yelled back. His skills at easily motivating groups was apparent.

He continued spinning them up. “Senator Lisa Murkowski [with] all kinds of power and privilege said she’s afraid. Are we afraid?” “Hell no!”, they responded.

MacDonald easily put into perspective that the courage and presence in the resistance movement was more powerful within the people than it was in the elected leadership. Up to this point the elected have been almost completely muted by the Trump-Musk government takeovers and takedowns of agencies and bureaus. Up to this point the speeches and appearances at agencies and bureaus have resulted in no progress stopping DOGE from taking over agencies, violating security access standards, and pilfering data.

But the Tesla Takedowns have had improbable success in undermining the value of the company in which the world’s richest man has tied most of his wealth, and used it to leverage control of I.S. government from its constitutional purpose.

Elon Musk has been the first to blink during the Tesla Takedown protest saga, telling stockholders in the media he’d be “stepping back” from his so called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project, a project U.S. District Courts have ruled against with dozens of orders countering its actions. His project is actually a government destruction project. He said he planned to focus on “allocating more of [his] time to Tesla.”

That didn’t matter either because activists vowed to keep returning to Tesla Takedowns anyway to continue pressuring the public to dump Tesla cars and stock and boycott the car company.

It is one of the most successful grassroots organized boycott actions ever taken against a corporate behemoth as evidenced by Teslas first quarter 2025 revenue results. The electric vehicle (EV) car company sales revenue collapsed 71% compared to first quarter 2024 revenue results.

The vaunted Musk and his brand have effectively been run off the road and over a cliff by protests. The EV automaker and world’s riches man suffered damage from the nation-wide Tesla Takedowns by the card-carrying “Soros” fandom. Even Musk himself acknowledged so much so the damage during an interview in March, when he reflected on the damage to his company the Tesla protests were having. However he falsely accused the left with vandalism to his showrooms without offering any evidence to support his claim.

This is a major win for the activists who have inspired each other to keep returning each week with the energy that’s making a major impact on the Tesla corporate values and a major economic objective they first undertook in early February.

They’ll have to fix one thing however, and that’s how their signs hold up under rainy conditions. Several who’ve have been through rain storms several times before, told newcomers they could cover sigs with packing tape or place plastic over them. They’re going to need that for the Summer thunderstorms yet to come.

The post Comfort And Revolution Don’t Go Together At Tesla Takedown Week 13 appeared first on DCMediaGroup.

A supporter rallied for Kilmar Abrego Garcia and called for his release from an El Salvadoran prison and return to the U.S. It was one of many civic actions taken in defiance of government on Easter weekend. Photo: J. Zangas/ DC Media Group

Washington DC—The Nation’s Capital and outlying region usually sees a protest or two on any weekend. But Saturday saw so many street actions against Trump policies it was difficult to keep track of them. In fact it was impossible to be in the dozen or more locations of the actions at the same time.

Easter weekend is usually quiet in DC as Spring break begins but it was a very busy day across the region as thousands took to the streets in multiple actions. And it wasn’t just happening in Washington DC; actions countering Trump were reported all across the country.

We take a brief look at what some of the civiic resistance looked like here in the DC-MD-VA (DMV) region on Easter weekend.

Tesla Takedown Boycott Line Week Eleven

Tesla Takedown boycott lines reached their eleventh week Saturday and are still captivating many with multiple locations reaching record numbers of participants. These grassroots activities have no overarching group or organization spearheading them yet they have attracted many mainstreamers who previously did not exercise First Amendment rights. They’ve given many a chance to engage a low-impact type of resistance that is family and children friendly. Many also brought their dogs.

Actions took place at a dozen Tesla showrooms across the region.

Elon Musk is the central target of these long-running boycott lines as the result of his so-called Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) takeover of government agencies, accessing citizens’ data, firing thousands of Federal employees, and shutting down their agencies. The goal of the boycott lines is to build public opposition to Musk’s brand, crash his Tesla Electric Vehicle stock value, and damage his reputation in the public sector, by shining light on his involvement in the U.S. Government agency takeovers.

The reality is that no one has done more to damage Musk’s reputation more than he has by disenfranchising every American from their private data. He and his DOGE team have done this with the consent of the Trump regime at the Social Security Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and work and financial data of millions of Federal employees, potentially exposing it to unscrupulous third party accessories.

On Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge Ellen Hollander has blocked for now, DOGE attempts to further access Americans’ Social Security data.

The Tesla Takedown boycott line actions are succeeding way beyond activists’ greatest hopes and are still expanding.

El Salvadoran Embassy

At the Salvadoran Embassy a group of activists brought hand made signs and posters to challenge El Salvador’s authoritarian Nayib Bukele for his role in confining and denying release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran legally seeking American citizenship in the U.S. He was kidnapped by ICE agents and illegally flown to El Salvador in defiance of a U.S. District Court Order, shacked at CECOT prison after falsely being accused by the Trump regime of being a gang member. The Department of Justice later admitted his illegal arrest was due to an administrative error but still refused the Supreme Court order to facilitate his return.

This story has captured world attention and has galvanized resistance against the Trump regime. The U.S. Judiciary has repeatedly ruled against the Government over its mishandling of the legal status and physical status and the rights of Habeas Corpus of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

At the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), hundreds of Federal employees, CFPB Union members, and supporters, picketed outside its headquarters on 17th Street over the takeover and takedown of that agency by DOGE infiltrators. Recent Reductions in Force as the result of Elon Musk’s DOGE operations inside the building have been stopped by court order. The action has been one of many which DCMG has covered since early February when DOGE operatives first forced their way into the CFPB headquarters building.

The Federal employees of CFPB provided a valuable service to consumers by providing relief from unscrupulous lenders who charged junk fees, unfair mortgage fees, rip-off bank overdraft fees, and fly-by-night online services which charged customers for add-on services they did not request. The CFPB returned $21 billion to consumers since 2011 when it was created under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.

On Thursday this week, a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Amy B.Jackson blocked the RIFs of 1400 Federal employees at the CFPB after the National Treasury Employees Union filed suit. This fight is far from over and neither are the actions outside the Bureau.

50501 Action At the White House

The Hands Off action of April 4, two Saturdays ago drew millions into the streets across the country. Washington DC saw tens of thousands of protesters with some reports claiming between 50 and 100 thousand joining in.

On Saturday just two weeks later the action did not approach that number but those that did show up in Lafayette Square are continuing the message: Hands off Social Security, Hands off Medicare, Hands off Education, Hands off Health and Human Services, USAID, OPM, NOAA, NASA, FDA, … , Hands off of government.

The 50501 movement is a formidable decentralized operation and is likely to grow more powerful as civic actions are taken to the next level of civil disobedience.

(This story was amended to reflect Abrego Garcia’s native homeland as El Salvador)

The post Defiance Of Trump Regime Rises As It Creates Many Major Crises appeared first on DCMediaGroup.

Arlington, VA—There were fewer at Arlington Tesla boycott line Saturday but that didn’t stop Tesla Takedown die-hards from braving a cold windy weather day to draw honks and give rounds of cheers to passing motorists. Some were caught flat-footed by the brisk and stiff wind as they underdressed and suffered through the cold. But they still braved it.

The cold weather was soon forgotten because someone brought a speaker on a wagon and boomed resistance dance music to the line. Then they spontaneously did what comes naturally with good music. They joined in dance and warmed themselves by it. And this particular week the boycott line ran for two straight hours. Some had also been at the earlier Rockville Tesla Takedown drew over 200.

One can tell if a 60-year old resistance song was a trans-generational success if 20 year olds dance to the music along side 70 year olds and no body cares what moves anyone is making. The song “Stop Children What’s That Sound,” by Buffalo Springfield did just that. There were many other resistance songs in the line up that did that as well to the boycott line.

Some of the songs had no business being played on the resistance line, like “Walk The Dinosaur,” a fun full dance songfrom the 1980s that was requested by popular demand. But if it makes one feel good, why quibble over formalities like what a proper resistance song actually sounds like?

After a week with plenty of reasons not to leave the house, people still want to get out and do something that makes them feel good. The Tesla Takedown boycott lines are helping them and giving the community a chance to refresh and draw its own energy to organize while helping some get beyond the stream of earth shaking news events.

Someone brought packages of anti-Elon Tesla Club stickers and passed them to motorists who stopped. A elderly woman wore a sign strung over her shoulders reading, “Hate Won’t Make Us Great,” while holding a bubble machine. A supporter brought their favorite oatmeal chocolate cookies and passed them out. There was also a big box of chips. So why brood on the couch doom scrolling?

There were held-held percussion musical instruments many played while dancing and someone actually managed to shake a cowbell for more than two hours—finally breaking Blue Oyster Cult’s song, “Don’t Fear the Reaper.”

Dancing in the street is itself an act of resistance because an authoritarian regime cannot actually tell if its for fun or an act of resistance. That’s because regimes take themselves too seriously and can’t bear to admit they’re being made fools of.

This is what happened outside the Government Accounting Office last Wednesday during a Doge takedown pajama party. A group of 20 played music and danced to mock the Doge infiltration going on inside the key Federal finance accounting office.

As the resistance at the Tesla Takedown boycott lines slowly come to terms with the regime’s destructive nature on the civil order, Tesla Takedowns have found their weekly boycott lines as a way to process and ready themselves for what is likely to come. They hold hope for a miracle and that maybe the cavalry will ride in.

The regime is not going anywhere and neither are the resisters. But they refuse to concede. They know the future looks dark as the cherished institutions around them are one by one failing. And its not because of what cowards have done as much as it is because of what entrusted leaders have failed to do. There are far more who know the difference between right and wrong as compared to the handfuls waging nihilistic roughshod against institutions.

The question on everyone’s mind remains why are so many stakeholders obeying in advance and failing to stand up to this regime at times and places where it matters?

The cavalry isn’t going to ride in. The resistance is the cavalry. And they aren’t leaving.

The post Weather Doesn’t Stop Tesla Takedown Boycott Line On Week Ten appeared first on DCMediaGroup.