(NewsNation) — As thousands of D.C. residents have publicly opposed President Donald Trump’s increased federal law enforcement presence in the nation’s capital, people have begun mulling about who organizes the protests.
Hundreds of National Guardsmen have been deployed to Washington, D.C., and Trump ordered a federal takeover of the local police department. His militarization prompted opponents to stage various protests.
Protests are generally organized by a group, the event then gaining traction through social media, word of mouth or some combination. Some are organized by advocacy organizations or nonprofits and, in some cases, companies are paid to supply the crowds.
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So who’s behind the recent protests in D.C.?
An activists holds a sign during a protest against President Donald Trump’s federal takeover of policing of the District of Columbia, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Who organizes DC protests?
President Donald Trump alleged Friday that Democrats are paying protesters to fight his crime policies.
No evidence or claims that the protest on Saturday, Aug. 16, was paid for have emerged, but the practice in protest organizing exists in general.
One company markets itself as providing services “for impactful advocacy campaigns, demonstrations, PR stunts, crowds for hire and corporate events,” according to its website. Crowds on Demand CEO Adam Swart previously told NewsNation some organizations will hire them to supply crowds, but they work with both liberals and conservatives.
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Swart said organizing a protest “is like buying an ad.”
Free DC has organized some recent protests, and claims about paid crowds have arisen.
It describes itself as “a fiscally hosted special project of Community Change and Community Change Action.” The latter is a combined political advocacy organization that works with low-income groups of people and people of color.
Although everyday citizens frequently participate in protests, rallies and other demonstrations, paid protesters materialize.
Refuse Fascism is another group responsible for organizing recent protests and another target of paid claims. Protesters have been seen carrying signs with those words on them.
What is Refuse Fascism?
Cris Marie wears a mask as she holds a sign near Trump Tower during a Refuse Fascism Rally in Chicago, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
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Refuse Fascism is an organization that has led thousands of protesters in anti-Trump demonstrations since the president’s first election in 2016.
Sam Goldman, spokesperson for Refuse Fascism, told NPR it is planning more protests in D.C.
“Recognizing the fascist character and danger of the looming Trump/Pence Regime, we issued a ‘Call to Action’ to mobilize people to resist,” its website says.
“The Trump Fascist Regime Must Go NOW!” an Aug. 15 event page says, calling Trump a “genocidal racist.”
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Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, told NPR “Hopefully they were paid well to beclown themselves in public like this.”
Some have claimed the group is linked to the Communist Party.
NewsNation reached out to Refuse Fascism for comment.
DC protests: National Guard deployed
WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 14: Members of the National Guard walk on the National Mall on August 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump announced plans to deploy federal officers and the National Guard to the District in order to place the DC Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and assist in crime prevention in the nation’s capital. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The Republican governors of West Virginia, South Carolina and Ohio announced on Saturday hundreds of its National Guard troops would deploy to Washington, D.C., to support President Donald Trump’s crime crackdown in the nation’s capital.
These volunteer soldiers join the 800 Guard members already deployed there under a Trump directive.
Trump’s crackdown on DC crime
Trump has said the increased law enforcement presence would “make D.C. safe again,” despite data showing the city’s crime is down.
3 Republican-led states deploy National Guard troops to DC
“We have a capital that’s very unsafe,” Trump told reporters at the White House earlier this month. “We have to run D.C.”
He ordered a federal takeover of the city’s police department, increased law enforcement patrolling and clearing of homeless encampments.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks as Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith, left, and D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly, listen during a news conference on President Donald Trump’s plan to place Washington police under federal control and deploy National guard troops to Washington, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
D.C.’s Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser called Trump’s takeover “unsettling and unprecedented,” criticizing the move on one hand, while also saying, “The fact that we have more law enforcement and presence in neighborhoods, that may be positive,” she said.
The nation’s capital government structure is unique. D.C. stands for the District of Columbia. It is not a state; it’s a federal district. Washington is considered a city — distinct from Washington state on the West Coast — and it’s geographically located within the district boundary. It’s also the nation’s capital city. The White House is located within D.C.
Although Washington has a mayor, city council, police department and local court system, the United States Congress has direct authority over it.
