I’m not sure when the march started because no one said the time has come to go to the Supreme Court. I worked my way around the edges of Freedom Plaza while hearing the message that Trump was the country’s savior.  When I returned to Pennsylvania Ave. I saw that the march was way up the street.  Fast walking did not bring me to the front so I didn’t get to photograph the front line sign.  By the time I got to the Supreme Court the street in front of it was packed.  There was no social distancing.  I went onto the Capital park across the street where the crowds were thinner.  Most everyone who came after me did the same.  I never did see where the speakers were standing, though I heard them.

 

Demographically, the MAGA march reminded me of a Republican convention.  The people were 99 percent white. There were some Blacks Voices for Trump, but most of the one percent were Chinese.  Trumpsters were older and heavier than those who partied in BLM Plaza to celebrate Biden’s victory.  The Proud Boys were the only obvious far-righters and they were low-key.  About two dozen men were wearing their distinctive clothing, including two blacks and one Asian.

 

There were a lot of children, from small babies to teen agers – that wasn’t like a Republican convention.  But they did keep the march and rallies peaceful.  According to the MPD, there were no violent confrontations until night, after all the rallies were over and families had gone home.

 

On my way out I passed a cluster of young Chinese women holding a Trump banner and wearing sweatshirts that said New Federal State of China.  I never heard of that one.  Found out later that it was a group recently started by Steve Bannon with the aim of overthrowing the Chinese Communist Party.  Good luck with that goal.

 

It took forever to get back to Dupont Circle because the traffic was so heavy.  The nightly news largely ignored the peaceful daytime events in favor of after-dark clashes downtown between pro and anti Trumpsters.  I’m glad I missed those.  I saw enough.

 

©2020 Jo Freeman for SeniorWomen.com