Dozens of protesters stood south of the White House on Sunday afternoon, holding signs and chanting as President Donald Trump prepared to host seven mixed martial arts fights on the South Lawn. The demonstration, organized under the banner 'The Real Fight is for Democracy,' aimed to draw attention to what critics call corruption and the commercialization of public property.
Protesters Voice Opposition
Thousands of fight fans streamed past the protesters into the viewing area erected by the Trump administration and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The cage fights, marketed as a celebration of America's 'fighting spirit' ahead of its 250th anniversary, coincidentally fell on Trump's 80th birthday. Protesters held a large puppet cage featuring oversized figures of Trump and his cabinet members, drawing looks from tourists and boos from UFC spectators.
'This reeks of corruption – way too much corruption,' said Susan Douglas, an organizer with Third Act Virginia, the progressive pro-democracy group that organized the demonstration. 'Let's face it, it's for Trump's birthday and has nothing to do with the founding of our country.'
Douglas was one of two plaintiffs in an emergency federal lawsuit seeking to block the event entirely, but a federal judge rejected the lawsuit two days earlier. 'I'm just appalled,' she said, watching the crowd flow past.
Clash of Supporters and Critics
As protesters chanted 'Whose house? Our house!' and 'Whose lawn? Our lawn!', Trump fans replied with 'USA! USA! UFC! UFC!'. The rally was one of several demonstrations across Washington DC and the country as Trump hosted the first private, for-profit sporting event ever held on White House grounds.
Protesters opposed the event for various reasons, including Trump's significant stock in TKO, the UFC's parent company, the commercialization of federal park lands, and the violent nature of cage fighting on federal property while the US continues wars abroad.
'We just wanted to show what an awful group of people this administration is,' said Marco Smith, a member of Third Act Virginia who led the construction of the cage and puppets. 'We made the cage to show them behind bars where they belong – not in the UFC cage, but in a jail cage.'
Police Presence and Counter-Programming
Hundreds of law enforcement officials, including the National Guard, Metropolitan Police, Park Police, and Secret Service, patrolled the area on foot, horseback, motorcycles, and from armored vehicles. A few blocks away, roughly 100 people gathered for a community meal under the banner 'They Fight, We Feed,' organized by Code Pink and other groups.
For Olivia DiNucci, an anti-militarism organizer with CodePink, the UFC fight was a symptom of deeper issues. 'We are calling out how this is already a very militarized city, and now we have people fighting each other on the South Lawn and trying to elicit fear and violence, like they do all over the world,' she said. 'We need a world of peace and caring for each other and nurturing each other.'
DiNucci highlighted the connection between military spending and hunger, noting the proposed $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget and cuts to social safety nets. 'Poverty is violence in this country,' she said. 'The fact that we have endless money for war and for weapons isn't surprising when you then see how much war and violence are glorified in the backdrop with something like this UFC fight.'
Concert and Broader Movement
As the main card began on the South Lawn, the Committee for the First Amendment held 'Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment,' featuring Bette Midler, Patti Smith, Rufus Wainwright, Jane Fonda, Julia Roberts, Joy Reid, Lily Gladstone, and others. The concert streamed live to over 500 watch parties organized by the No Kings Coalition and Indivisible.
'We can let strongman politics and corruption define the moment,' No Kings said in a statement. 'Or we can make the story of America about people coming together – across race, background, identity, belief and community – to defend our rights and build a future rooted in people power.'
