9 ways to take action at one year of DC’s occupation
For 11 days, from August 1-11, 2026, we listened to the stories of DC community members directly impacted by Trump’s occupation and the dozens of police and military forces that are working together under the “DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force.”
Throughout these 11 days we heard specific ways the DC community can support folks impacted by this occupation. If you are looking for a way to take action in response to the one year anniversary of Trump’s occupation, here is a handy list of all the ways you can help.
1. Tell Mayor Bowser to give Julian Bailey’s family the footage.
U.S. Marshals killed Julian Bailey in Ward 7 in February. His autopsy report shows the Marshals shot Julian nine times, including six times in the back. DC government has street camera footage from the day Julian was killed, but they have so far refused to release it to Julian's family. Sign the petition calling on Mayor Bowser to give the Bailey family the camera footage from the day of his death.
2. Contribute to the Meza family’s burial costs.
Nolberto Mezawas a food delivery worker who was killed by U.S. Park Police in June. U.S. Park Police began a high-speed chase of what they thought was a stolen car, traveling at reckless speeds when one of the vehicles struck Nolberto, killing him instantly. Support Nolberto's family by donating to or sharing the GoFundMe to cover funeral expenses.
3. Learn about your power as a juror, and how to watch the courts
Trump's "DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force" has now arrested more than 16,000 people in DC — many of them unjustly. There are two ways you can help make sure DC's courts serve as a check on abuse of power.
4. Boycott Rasika and all restaurants owned by Knightsbridge and STARR
When workers at Rasika started to form a union, their boss threatened to call ICE on them. That is only one of multiple bad actions Rasika’s ownership group has taken against unionizing workers and in response, fired Rasika workers and UNITE HERE Local 25 have called for a boycott of all restaurants owned by Knightsbridge and STARR includingRasika, Bombay Club, Osteria Mozza, The Occidental, and Le Diplomate are not on the side of our communities and don't deserve our business. Learn more about these workers' fight and pledge to back the boycott.
5. Boycott Target and Amazon this back-to-school season
DC's school communities deserve better than police harassment, family separation, and armed occupation. Target was one of the earliest companies to comply with the Trump administration’s attacks on DEI programs, and was silent as people in its home town of Minneapolis were under attack from Operation Metro Surge. Through its web hosting services, Amazon profits off ICE detention and its founder and board chair Jeff Bezos is using his billions to buy influence and power from Trump. This back-to-school season, boycott Target and Amazon. Check out our list of Local Businesses for a Free DC alternatives.
6. Contribute to Freedom Dreaming
The fight for a DC that is free means much more than simply stopping attacks against us. Before we can win a DC that is free, we need to define what this means to us. Join us to share your Freedom Dreams and inform our Freedom Demands. Our Freedom Dreaming session is taking place throughout August and into September. Join us for an upcoming session on August 29, September 12, or September 22.
7. Delete DoorDash
DoorDash is attacking DC communities and that means they should not profit off our communities. The company is supporting a Republican effort in Congress to take away DC's power over revenues — all because they don't want to pay a 20-cent fee to fund food access programs for low-income families. The company has also been silent as ICE and federal police kill their delivery drivers. We demand justice for Nolberto Sanabría Meza, who was killed by U.S. Park Police while making deliveries for DoorDash, as well as Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, also a DoorDash driver, who ICE killed in Maine. Delete your DoorDash account, delete the app, and once you have, tell us you took action.
8. Get trained as a legal monitor with Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless
Last year Trump didn't like what he saw from his armored limousine and DC's unhoused neighbors have paid the price. Occupation forces harass and displace our unhoused neighbors, destabilizing some of DC's most vulnerable residents.
Sign up for legal monitoring training through the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless to help monitor and report law enforcement mistreatment of unhoused neighbors.
9. Sign up for Election Protection in DC this November
We are less than two months away from the midterm elections. We need to win an unapologetic Democratic majority, and we need Democrats in Congress to vote against attacks on DC every single time.
It’s going to be up to us to protect our elections. Election Protection Field Program Volunteers played a key role in DC’s June election. They were present outside voting locations, assisting voters who might have questions or resolving issues as they evolve. Sign up to protect the polls on November 3.
