Veterans organized a 24/7 sit-in at Union Station to protest the military police deployment that's taken over the city. Veterans from all across the country joined the sit-in, promising not to leave until the National Guard does.
Was the veteran who organized this protest, telling DC Media Group that “using troops on American soil undermines the public’s trust in the military.”
On the sit-in website, www.rememberyouroath.org, their demands are listed clearly. They invite all veterans, their families, and anyone who supports veterans to join them at Union Station. The demands include:
Inform our National Guard siblings of their rights to refuse unlawful orders. Educate and encourage.
Hold National Guard officers to account for accepting the orders to INTIMIDATE the American people.
Respond to ICE and MPD checkpoints and stops throughout the city to protest, shame them, and assist their victims.
The protest will be conducted in phases, with the sit-in being the second phase. The first phase focuses on activating people for more protests, such as the “No Kings” mobilization and other efforts to mobilize people in the streets to defend democracy.
Another veteran turned creator
told MeidasTouch:"We are veterans from every branch who are concerned about the use of our military to police this country's citizens… the founding fathers were worried about a standing army in this country for this very reason. An ego-driven wannabe tough guy using the military to intimidate and police their citizens."
They employ a couple of different strategies, such as playing the speech from former Joint Chiefs Chairman General Milley, which explains the oath military personnel take to the Constitution and not to “a man” on repeat via loudspeakers.
It’s not just a protest against Trump; it’s also standing up against the apparent misuse of people within the military.
But on Sunday, the National Park Service “nulled” the veteran’s permit that allowed them to set up tents in front of Union Station. This gave them no other choice but to move to an area significantly farther away from the original location until they can renew the permit on Tuesday.
Even with this setback, the veterans protesting are not planning on stopping anytime soon.
Active-duty personnel in America are governed by the Posse Comitatus Act, which generally prohibits the military from being used as law enforcement. The act doesn’t apply to the National Guard, but the point still stands: to uphold our democracy, the separation of military forces and police is necessary.
It’s needless to say that what these veterans are doing is extremely powerful and should be on the front page of every newsletter.
Their 24/7 sit-in at Union Station represents much more than a protest; it is a powerful stance in support of constitutional principles and democratic accountability. The former servicemembers partaking in this action, united across branches and unique backgrounds, are using their voices to challenge what they view as the dangerous normalization of the military within civilian areas.
Through direct action and solidarity, the goal is to remind both them and the public of the truth that their oath is to the Constitution, not to any individual or personal political agenda.
Their continued sit-in sends a clear and essential message to the nation.
Defending democracy does not end with service; it continues through principled resistance.
Thanks for raising the profile of this act of resistance.
Thanks for reporting on this. It gives my sad heart some home in hearing about the courage and brilliance of others in this dark time