The sheer creativity and inventiveness of the protesters was on full display at every turn as they each seemed to come prepared with energy and a message.
As if re-experiencing What to Send Up When It Goes Down (Woolly Mammoth’s breakout 2019 ritual about police violence and the endless list of young Black lives that have been lost), the young protesters were there collectively as a chorus to send up the names of victims of police violence.
A 1,000-car caravan drove from Union Station past the Atlas Theater (home of Mosaic Theater) and filled H Street with even more vivid, creative, and moving messages before the first full weekend of protests.
A major message resonating through the crowd was the desire of the protesters to eliminate funding for police departments as rumors circulated that Mayor Bowser was proposing an $80-million increase.
Amplifying the defund-police message was the equally compelling message of holding officers accountable.
The diversity of messengers seemed to be unlimited as this Black Lesbian made her presence felt in technicolor.
The most surprising protester in the crowd was a white senior citizen demanding the death penalty for the Minneapolis police officers charged with murder.
