They drove in from the suburbs or took the Metro to downtown holding placards for their representatives who, they hoped, would stand up for their constituents, not simply “take it” as the Trump administration chipped away at Democratic norms, firing the lawyers, withdrawing support from longtime allies, allowing personal data to be accessed by people without clearances. U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-8 MD) was applauded for his call to fight the invasion of privacy by the DOGE team, gaining access to Americans’ social security, tax and other sensitive information. 

Raskin encouraged everyone to submit a Freedom of Information (FOIA)  request to find out what the DOGE team has acquired about them. Raskin cited Tom Paine’s book “The American Crisis” with quotes like, 

“These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. And …

“Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”

Common refrains of several speakers were, “Representatives don’t report to Donald Trump or Elon Musk but to US!!!!!” 

One impressive speaker told the crowd, “All federal workers have a problem but we need the rest of America to understand this is their issue too. It scares me that people on the Metro act normal, people in coffee shops act normal. 

“This is not normal. My father was in the Navy, my grandfather was in the army, and my son is a U.S. Marine. There is a reason they fired the Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAGs) , which are sometimes referred to as “the military’s conscience.” They don’t want any limitations on what they can do and the JAGs would stand in their way.”

Mark told the crowd he had been fired from work with a USAID affiliated organization doing humanitarian relief. “After 16 years my job suddenly came to an end. None of us were getting rich working in international development … we didn’t make enough to get a Republican tax cut … but now I am wondering how I am going to pay for college tuition or how many more mortgage payments we can make, so please, keep standing up and fighting.”