Two of President Donald Trump's Cabinet officials attempted to give a speech at Meridian Hill Park, (known by locals as Malcolm X Park) in northwest Washington D.C. to promote the administration's effort to remake the city. Protesters, however, drowned them out.
Locals have been pleased with the repairs of the park fountains, which broke during the first Trump administration and had yet to be repaired during the pandemic.
Activists who support the "Free D.C." movement arrived with baby strollers, bullhorns, whistles, signs and swear words to show their displeasure with the federal takeover of the city. Many of the local protesters have consistently protested against the administration's occupation of the city, particularly when it comes to federal police arresting people of color.
As protesters arrived at the park, National Guard soldiers were deployed to surround the park and block citizens from attending the public speech in the local park.
Freelance journalist Amanda Moore has been on the front lines for the past few weeks covering the Trump state fair on the National Mall and the event Thursday in Meridian Hill.
A Department of Defense statement said: “The restoration of the fountain at Meridian Hill Park marks a major milestone in our ongoing mission to restore safety, order and aesthetic pride to our nation’s capital," WUSA9 reporter Spencer Allan Brooks wrote on X.
Other protesters chanted "Shame! Shame! Shame" at Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and his aides.
Some protesters yelled at the National Guard soldiers that they should "go back" to the states they came from. Many different guard soldiers have been deployed to D.C. for the last year.
The small group of protesters was so loud that they drowned out the speeches.
At one point in his speech, Hegesth grew so angry he lashed out at the protesters, calling them "ingrates," CBS News reporter Jennifer Jacobs said on X.
She added that Homeland Security advisor and deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller also spoke at the event. Clad in a brown cap and sunglasses, Miller called the larger project of restoring the fountain, painting the reflecting pool and hiring the National Guard to pick up trash "the single most successful public safety initiative in the history of this country."
NPR reported in June that their presence has done little to reduce violent crimes in Washington, citing an analysis from the nonpartisan think tank Niskanen Center.
Acting AG Todd Blanche and National Guard chief Steven Nordhaus also spoke.
For months, fences have surrounded the park, keeping people off the grass. Popville, a local D.C. blog, arrived before the protesters and found the fences had been taken down and grass restored.
