WATCH: ‘Occupation is a crime,’ longtime activist Afeni Evans says at DC takeover protest

In August, Metro Transit Police pepper sprayed and arrested Evans during the surge in federal law enforcement in the district. Her charges were dismissed and she was later released. Evans called on rally attendees to stand up against the Trump administration’s actions and heavy police presence, and advocated for a change in conditions.

“D.C. deserves better than helicopters flying low overhead for hours and frivolous checkpoints,” she said. “The children of D.C. deserve better than masked vigilantes roaming their streets with assault rifles. D.C.’s migrant population deserves better than coming home to find that their family has been kidnapped by the same country that has taken and destroyed their homeland.”

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