No Control, No Consent
The $45M parade that D.C. never wanted
Tomorrow, a massive military parade will roll through Washington D.C. without the city’s approval and without any promise of compensation for damages. The mayor, the city council and residents can’t stop it - because D.C. isn’t a state and has no authority to supersede Congress on this. It’s an unwanted display of federal power that ties directly to the fight for autonomy, democracy, and D.C. statehood.
Yesterday, we covered how Congress is rolling back D.C. voting privileges and control of its police force. Today, we’re covering the parade. These are related because both demonstrate how Trump and Republicans are attempting to seize control of the city.
D.C. isn’t a state. It isn’t located within a state either. It is a federal district that operates under the jurisdiction of Congress which has the authority to define its borders and legislate for the District. And, tomorrow, the federal government is forcing a massive military parade on the city - without the District’s consent. Local leaders are saying no. But Congress, which controls DC’s budget and governance, said yes.
On Tuesday, Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6B passed a resolution urging the U.S. Army to cancel or relocate the June 14 parade, citing potential damage to roads, burdens on city services, and disruption to residents. The ANC also asked the Army to reimburse the city for road damage and police overtime — and to remove all military equipment from D.C.’s streets and airspace by 6 a.m. Monday.
The Army insists the tanks will cause minimal damage but it also reportedly budgeted $16 million for road repairs. LOL. Meanwhile, D.C. still doesn’t have a signed agreement to be paid back. Mayor Muriel Bowser estimates policing costs alone will total $13 million, and some officials have projected the overall price tag could climb to $92 million — all while the federal government refuses to cover a $1 billion budget shortfall they created in the city’s budget during passage of the federal budget just a weeks ago.
But the economic damage is just part of the story though.
Republicans in Congress have used D.C.’s lack of statehood as an open invitation to seize control of the city. In March, Mayor Bowser said she was pressured by the White House to paint over a plaza honoring the Black Lives Matter movement saying she allowed it because there were “bigger fish to fry.” She is referring to how House Republicans are pushing legislation to roll back D.C. voting rights, while continuing to block abortion funding with D.C.’s own taxpayer dollars and criminal justice reforms passed by local leaders.
All of this follows Donald Trump’s call for the federal government to “take over” Washington - language more suited to an occupying force than a functioning democracy but by no means surprising after his military takeover of Los Angeles last week. It’s giving authoritarian regime and D.C. is poised to be the next target.
How This Affects You
It’s about domination: Tanks on streets. Silencing protest. Gutting local democracy. This isn’t just about a parade — it’s about power.
Your rights are next: The same lawmakers pushing this parade are pushing national abortion bans and dismantling voting rights.
No statehood = no safety: As long as D.C. isn’t a state, its residents — largely Black and Brown — will continue to be overruled, overpoliced, and underrepresented.
What You Can Do
Fuck with parade organizers: RSVP for two tickets to tomorrow’s parade with no intention of showing up. Yes, ghost them and make them look dumb. You do not need to live in D.C. to RSVP. Give a fake phone number and email though!
Support DC Statehood: Demand Congress finally recognize D.C. as the 51st state and grant its residents full representation and control over their own city. Volunteer with any of these organizations to do your part.
Find us @GEMMA_Talks, @evexplains, @pariphrased
Already registered for the parade! Under aliases though, and with disguised email address and phone number. You'll need to provide a real phone number for verification purposes, but please use a Google Voice number or similar forwarding tool. Firefox Relay is an email forwarding tool to disguise your email address which I also recommend.
Well, the "ghosting" is fine, but a simpler ploy is to stay home, go about your business, pay no attention to the parade. Tell your kids it will just be a boring bunch of loud machinery rolling along the street and even more boring soldiers marching. No clowns (except the ones in the reviewing stand) No doubt it will be televised and if they must they can watch in comfort at home.