D.C. fights back against Trump's takeover — in court and on the streets

D.C. was filled with resistance to President Trump's federal takeover this weekend, with rallies, locals documenting arrests, and a sharper edge from Mayor Muriel Bowser.Why it matters: Washingtonians are navigating daily life under federal control as both sides — the feds and resistance — ramp up their manpower and rhetoric.Catch up quick: Friday fired off with a lawsuit. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb sued to block Trump's takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department.A federal judge pushed the city and Justice Department to reach an agreement, and the Trump administration relented. MPD Chief Pamela Smith will keep command of 3,100 officers, while U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi's appointee for the city's "emergency police commissioner," DEA head Terry Cole, can't issue directives for now.And Bowser is shifting her tone from cool diplomacy to heated pushback, calling Trump's action "an authoritarian push" and posting on her personal X account that "policing American citizens on American soil is #UnAmerican."Friction point: "Trump must go" protests flared over the weekend, drawing action from Dupont Circle to the White House. Social media feeds were filled with video footage of arrests, and empty morning sidewalks — typically crammed with vendors — in Columbia Heights.On Saturday morning, masked federal agents — including one wearing an ICE badge — tackled a moped driver on 14th Street, reports the Washington Post. D.C. police were not involved in the arrest, a spokesperson tells Axios. National Guard mobilizes at the mall. Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesZoom in: Statehood advocates say police pepper-sprayed activist Afeni Evans during her arrest over Metro fare evasion Saturday, per a statement Free DC shared with Axios, which sparked protests outside the DC Courthouse. She was later released to cheering crowds.MPD told Axios it wasn't involved in the arrest. Metro Transit Police didn't immediately return Axios' request for comment.By the numbers: More than 300 people have now been arrested in the crackdown as of Saturday night, per a White House official.135 undocumented immigrants have been arrested, and 44 homeless encampments have been cleared. All such camps have now been cleared from federal property, reports U.S. Park Police. ICE and other federal agents take a delivery driver into custody at Union Station. Photo: Andrew Leyden/Getty ImagesBetween the lines: Everyday life continued across the city — the Nats played ball, thousands boogied down for Chuck Brown Day — but resistance seeped in.Chants of "Free DC!" erupted during the Spirit's match Friday at Audi Field. Sidewalk chalk messages filled Mount Pleasant — an immigrant hub targeted by ICE.The intrigue: "Sandwich guy" — the now-former DOJ staffer who was arrested for launching a sub at federal agents — is being embraced as a symbol of the resistance.Banksy-style murals popped up in Adams Morgan, while some protestors carried sandwich signs or marched with actual baguettes. A protestor brandishes a baguette as he walks past National Guard — an ode to "sandwich guy." Photo: Alex Kent/Getty ImageWhat we're watching: Red states from West Virginia to South Carolina pledged to send up to 700 more National Guard troops to D.C., on top of the 800 already deployed.And while the National Guard still isn't making arrests, they may be armed now, per the White House official."[This is] consistent with their mission and training, to protect federal assets, provide a safe environment for law enforcement officers to make arrests, and deter violent crime with a visible law enforcement presence," says the official.The bottom line: In a late Friday email to constituents, Bowser acknowledged a city in "crisis" and commended citizens for rallying together. "I know that if we keep sticking together, we will make it to the other side of this," said Bowser. "We will show the entire nation what it looks like to fight for American democracy — even when we don't have full access to it."

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