The White House canceled its spring garden tours in advance of the “Hands Off!” protest in DC. They have erected anti-scale fencing around the whole complex. Hopefully, to keep those bastards in! If we affect this regime in no other way, we will have halted their tulip viewing. As I have said before: President Donald Trump has repeatedly, publicly fantasized about shooting protesters. His Secretary of Defense, ex-Fox host and DUI hire Pete Hegseth, is “good with it.” So, this could be dangerous, or it could be (should be) benign tourism. The cherry blossoms are blooming. after all. Twenty-thousand people could participate in an uplifting civic demonstration, watch my favorite Democratic congressman, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), speak, enjoy the scenery, and admire the monuments. It is not a given that the United States Park Police will be instructed to kettle the crowd and hose them with tear gas and rubber bullets.
This definitely does not need to be another Kent State.
We will find out tomorrow.
Dear Reader, a thought exercise: based on how this administration has conducted itself so far, how probable is it we get the peaceable versus the miserable outcome?
I was slightly heartened by the public announcement of the garden tour rescheduling, which said: “This decision has been made out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the safety of all within proximity to public demonstrations.” Ensure the safety of all certainly sounds like it includes the protesters. That would be as it should be, in a healthy, functioning democracy. I would be very glad for my fears of violence tomorrow to have been alarmist.
In the meantime, I am still ruminating on the Principles First summit, which was threatened by Proud Boys and targeted with a bomb hoax. I am thinking of the student protesters who are being captured in broad daylight by masked men. I am thinking about men who are, without trial, being sent to a prison in El Salvador from which nobody has ever returned. I am thinking of the threats to send Tesla protesters there. So much evidence points towards dissent being criminalized, and not much the other way.
Hands Off! March on D.C.
also being called:
April 5: PEOPLE'S VETO DAY!
Saturday, April 5, 2025
12:00 PM at Washington Monument, National Mall, D.C.
Indivisible and Women’s March are organizing the event, so while I suppose it would be tradition to don a pink pussy hat, for this new era, I would instead suggest a Trump is a Bitch shirt, available at the Partisan Hex merchandise store.
If you’re not going anywhere near D.C. that day, there are local versions nationwide:
Also see:
We will see what kind of country we live in tomorrow. Maybe the pepper spray stays holstered. Maybe Pete Hegseth is too hung over for his briefing on the crackdown. That would be fine. But if they do start dragging people off in the shadow of the Washington Monument, those other guys protesting will be brave canaries—I am getting the hell out of there.
If you can, show up, or support the Day of Action protest in your local community. Wear goggles. And if anyone says nothing was accomplished, remind them that we at least ruined someone’s garden party.