No Invasion of Our Cities - Resistance Against Trump's National Guard Grows

This weekend, several American cities stood as symbols of resistance. In Washington, D.C., thousands took to the streets to protest the federal takeover of their police force and the deployment of National Guard troops. The "We Are All D.C." march began in Meridian Hill Park, accompanied by music, banners, and an atmosphere that felt more like a festival of civil society than a security crisis. People carried signs reading "Protect DC Home Rule" and "Stop the Trump Takeover" as they marched down 16th Street toward Freedom Plaza. The message was clear: the capital will not give up its right to self-government - especially not at a moment when the crime rate is lower than it has been in 60 years. Chicago

The conflict is also escalating in Chicago. Here, the federal government has designated Naval Station Great Lakes as the logistical base for a large-scale deportation and enforcement operation. 250 federal agents and 140 vehicles have already arrived to expand what the planning document calls "Operation Community Sweep." Mayor Brandon Johnson calls it an "attack on democracy" and warns that Trump wants to occupy the city. Governor JB Pritzker announced lawsuits and warned: "The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city. This is not a joke. This is not normal." Activists are organizing emergency plans, schools are preparing for increased absences, churches are declaring themselves sanctuaries.

In Baltimore, the protest reached a peak as early as Friday. Governor Wes Moore, Mayor Brandon Scott, and hundreds of residents marched together through downtown to demonstrate against Trump's announcement that the National Guard would also be deployed there. Moore called the threat "pure theater thunder" and a show of force that had nothing to do with the actual needs of the city. The chants of "We all we got, we all we need" echoed through the streets. The message from Maryland was unmistakable: Baltimore will not allow itself to be turned into another backdrop for federal politics without a fight.

The political and social tensions are enormous. Trump justifies the deployments with a "national emergency" and points to executive orders he signed on the day of his inauguration - originally intended for border protection, now applied in the heart of American metropolises. Civil rights organizations warn of a militarization of everyday life and a creeping state of emergency. The economic consequences are already visible: restaurants in Latino neighborhoods are reporting declines of up to 40 percent, schools are reporting rising absenteeism, clinics are reporting fewer patients.

What is happening in Washington, Chicago, and Baltimore is more than a dispute about crime statistics. It is a fundamental question about the relationship between government and citizens, about federal power and the limits of presidential authority. In all three cities, the resistance is directed against the same pattern: the attempt to displace local structures with the military and federal police and to normalize a state of exception. Civil rights organizations warn of a dangerous precedent that could have effects far beyond these cities. In Chicago and Baltimore, neighborhoods are organizing, emergency plans are being drafted, churches are opening their doors as sanctuaries. In Washington, D.C., people are demanding the return of their self-government and pointing out that violent crime is at its lowest level in decades. The economic and social effects are already being felt: restaurants in immigrant neighborhoods are reporting revenue losses, schools are seeing growing absenteeism, doctors are seeing empty waiting rooms. The fear of suddenly becoming the target of a raid is creeping into daily life. And yet the determination in the streets shows that the cities will not submit without a fight. Chicago, Washington, and Baltimore have become symbols that democracy is not just an institution but also a collective act of resistance. The coming weeks will show whether these cities can withstand the pressure - and whether the United States still has the strength to remember that freedom is not granted from above but defended from below.