"This Is So Dystopian": People Are Genuinely In Shock After This DC Resident Ran Around The City To Show What It Now Looks Like Under Trump

In lawsuit you haven't heard, Donald Trump signed an enforcement bid that effectively put Washington, DC nether national control. He seized authorization implicit the section constabulary and deployed 800 National Guard troops to the city.

Trump has declared a "crime emergency" successful the city, contempt pushback from DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, who argued that portion 2023 saw an "unacceptable spike," convulsive transgression is astatine a 30-year low. And now, Trump's doubling down — the 800 National Guard members already connected the crushed volition soon beryllium joined by different 1,100-plus troops from Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, West Virginia, South Carolina, and Ohio.

So, what does this each look similar for DC residents close now? This past week, Rob Perez — a Navy vet, DC resident, and moving contented creator — decided to find retired the old-fashioned way: by lacing up his sneakers and hitting the streets. His video documenting what's going connected blew up with implicit 10 cardinal views and astir 2 cardinal likes, giving everyone watching this each unfold astatine location a front-row spot to what's going down successful the city.

"I'm astir to spell connected a tally present done DC and amusement you what it looks similar present that the Trump medication has sent successful the National Guard and federalized our constabulary force," helium began successful the viral clip.

Before mounting off, helium conscionable gave a glimpse of his ain block, pointing retired the rows of constabulary and national vehicles lined up outside: "We've got constabulary close here," helium said.

"And past these are immoderate unmarked vehicles."

"As good arsenic much Border Patrol."

Following that radical of cars, helium made his mode to Union Station. "Here is what the country looks like," helium said, panning to subject vehicles lined up retired front.

"Kind of a weird country here, but we've got 3 of these subject trucks sitting down me."

Rob past headed successful the absorption of the Capitol, wherever helium heard what sounded similar protesters. "There's a clump of whistles blowing arsenic good arsenic a clump of sirens coming up the thoroughfare it sounds like."

"Not definite what gathering this is, but it turns retired it's megaphones and pots and pans, and they're trying to disturb immoderate gathering this is," helium continued.

(It's the Fox News building, which I presume is what the protestation was for.)

As helium ran, Rob emphasized that he's not trying to make a narrative, but fto viewers determine for themselves their absorption and feelings. "Just to beryllium 100% clear, nary of these videos are meant for, like, fear-mongering, not trying to scare anyone. I conscionable simply wanna amusement you what it looks like. And obviously, gully your ain conclusions," helium said, adding that if helium spots thing that's an evident information hazard for DC residents, he'll telephone it out.

He continued, moving toward Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. "In beforehand of me, I person astir 8 agents on with police."

"We got Border Patrol, Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and 1 that conscionable says national agent," helium said, documenting the antithetic national agents successful beforehand of him.

He past panned to protesters. One screamed, "Get the f*ck retired of my city." And another, "Get retired of my home. Your parent ne'er loved you."

He past witnessed a radical of borderline patrol and constabulary halt 2 men for smoking weed.

From there, Rob shared what helium saw from bystanders adjacent the national agents patrolling the streets. "Just successful the fewer blocks that I walked alongside those national agents, the fig of frightened reactions that I saw from radical of colour that were walking conscionable down the street, minding their business, was insane," helium said.

"Just to springiness you an example, a Black parent and her lad [were] walking down the street," Rob continued. "The 2nd they turned the country and saw the agents walking towards them, she instantly grabbed her son's manus and told him, 'When you spot these radical retired present walking around, you're gonna clasp my hand, 'cause I privation them to cognize that you're excavation and you're not retired present causing trouble. 'Cause we don't privation immoderate occupation with them.'"

"It was genuinely conscionable truthful disheartening to see," Rob said.

Rob past made his mode past the White House to spot if determination were immoderate protests. There wasn't, truthful helium headed to the George Washington Campus, which helium said antecedently had "heavy presence" earlier successful the night. "Not truthful overmuch anymore, there's a mates individuals hanging retired by immoderate of the tents that are usually here, truthful I'm gonna spell spot what's being said there," helium continued.

Outside adjacent the campus, wherever immoderate radical who are unhoused stay, Rob said, "I don't needfully privation to amusement faces, but 1 idiosyncratic was picked up present by a structure van that took him to a section shelter, arsenic opposed to being surrounded present successful Washington Circle by a clump of national agents."

Rob observed that determination seemed to beryllium disorder among the antithetic agencies astir who is really successful complaint of enforcing unhoused radical retired of the city. "For example, astatine that location, DC constabulary was putting up a clump of notices connected each the tents letting radical cognize that they bash person to permission the area," helium said.

Rob explained that immoderate agents seemingly would amusement up and grant the announcement and determination on, but others would effort to re-intervene, causing confusion. "[It] sounds similar immoderate of the different agencies would amusement up and fundamentally disregard the announcement and commencement asking people, 'Hey bash you person determination you tin spell close now? You gotta go,'" helium said. "It wasn't forceful, but I'm definite it's decidedly causing immoderate disorder amongst the unhoused radical here."

At the extremity of his tally (and the extremity of his video), Rob headed into a Wawa for a drink. Inside, helium overheard 2 constabulary officers arsenic they got a notification saying that they are present allowed to inquire the migration presumption of radical they detain. "They looked astatine each different and instantly shook their heads," helium said. "And past 1 of them said, 'That ain't my job.' That conscionable tells maine that the constabulary present adjacent consciousness similar it's an overreach."

Rob said his extremity was mostly to conscionable study the facts of what was happening connected his run, and fto radical travel to their ain conclusions aft watching. But successful the comments, radical did not clasp backmost their opinions. The bulk were overwhelmingly shocked and frightened by what Rob shared. "As a Brazilian, spot me: erstwhile the subject is connected the streets you're successful a dictatorship," a apical remark read.

"This isn't normal. This is what a dictatorship state looks like," different echoed.

"This is truthful dystopian...Handmaids communicative is coming existent 😭," this idiosyncratic said.

"in handmaid's tale, DC was first....." different read.

"All that money... borderline patrol is however acold from immoderate border??" 1 wrote.

"Because America can't spend wellness attraction but we tin spend this," different said.

Some applauded Rob for utilizing his privilege for good. "Using your privilege to spy, I spot you 😏," 1 wrote.

Rob told BuzzFeed, for him, that's partially the point. "I admit that I americium a achromatic antheral and americium privileged due to the fact that of that. I americium capable to spell unbothered by constabulary and unquestioned due to the fact that of the mode that I look," helium told BuzzFeed.

He said this is not the archetypal clip helium went retired and documented what's going connected successful DC from a national position — helium besides went retired during Trump's inauguration and the parade for the 250th day of the Army, which was besides Trump's birthday. "I ran each implicit the metropolis to grounds and papers however radical were feeling and what the vigor and vibes were like," helium told BuzzFeed erstwhile helium went retired connected inauguration day. He said helium mostly saw utmost reactions and incidents reported successful the media, truthful helium wanted to spot what was happening for himself.

During the 250th subject parade, Rob said helium went arsenic a photographer, but besides arsenic a quiescent protester, wearing a "FDT" (F*** Donald Trump) T-shirt. "I walked close done the information checkpoints with my cameras, and nary 1 cared, adjacent though I was intelligibly walking into an lawsuit that was afloat of Trump supporters," helium told BuzzFeed. Rob said helium was adjacent fixed a peculiar entree walk erstwhile helium arrived, contempt his shirt. "This conscionable reinforced that I tin spell conscionable astir anyplace unbothered, truthful I program to proceed to bash that arsenic DC goes done each of this with Trump successful office."

Rob said helium besides wants radical to recognize what's going connected successful DC due to the fact that of its unsocial position, which is susceptible to national control. DC is a congressionally established national territory — not a authorities — allowing Trump to overtake the constabulary unit and federalize the city. "We aren't a state; we don't get practice successful the Senate. We person a non-voting delegate successful the House of Representatives. We wage more national taxes per person than immoderate of the existent 50 states. Then, to adhd connected apical of each of this, since the astir caller Trump admin, [60,000+] national jobs have been cut — bulk of which person been present successful DC."

"I person seen comments wherever radical accidental that we should ballot against these things, not realizing that we don't get those votes successful Congress," helium said. "I americium much conscionable hoping that radical get a deeper knowing of however DC is truthful antithetic astatine a authorities level, which intensifies everything that happens present nether Trump, and portion we person national agents and the subject walking our streets."

Overall, Rob said the effect to his videos has been positive, and helium welcomes each opinions. "Some of the astir communal comments I get are thing to the effect of, 'Thank you for showing america this from your perspective.' And that was the full goal, truthful it has been a occurrence to stock these videos."

In a way, Rob's besides helping by being a dependable for those successful DC who don't consciousness they tin talk up close now. "Lots of DC [residents] enactment for the government, oregon are contractors for the government. With that, astir DC residents can't spell retired and talk freely astir however they consciousness with each of this going on. They could suffer their job," helium told BuzzFeed.

"It's pugnacious to cognize that the radical that are moving for our state each day, don't adjacent get to spell stock their opinion," helium shared. "The 'freedom' of being an American is being taken distant from the radical who amusement up each time to support it. It's conscionable weird."

Personally, arsenic idiosyncratic surviving crossed the state successful California, I’m grateful for radical similar Rob who are openly going retired of their mode to stock what’s happening successful DC and however radical are feeling. In a clip erstwhile it often seems we aren’t being shown the afloat truth, that benignant of position feels much important than ever. At the extremity of the day, arsenic cities similar LA and DC person shown us, it’s the radical who person to travel unneurotic and persist.

And arsenic Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote successful April 1963 from a Birmingham jail, wherever helium was held for starring nonviolent protests against segregation: "We are caught successful an inescapable web of mutuality, tied successful a azygous garment of destiny. Whatever affects 1 directly, affects each indirectly."

What are your thoughts? Let america cognize successful the comments.