The building looks like a castle, equipped with all the amenities that resemble a castle, at least. A clock tower at its highest point, delicately crafted spires at its sides, flags fluttering in the wind. Constructed with a Romanesque style in mind and made of salt-colored granite, this building seems to be the tallest one within the area, as well as the most ornate. It is so near to being a Britannic castle, it fits compatibly with the tastes of a certain presidential candidate. This building was once called the Old Post Office Pavilion despite not looking like an office; now it’s been rebranded as a hotel. There were people already there on its front steps for its ‘soft’ re-opening, Monday; not because they were ecstatic with what was done to the building, but because now it’s been branded by Donald Trump.
The D.C.-based ANSWER Coalition (meaning Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) was the group front and center at the Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C., carrying signs and playing loud music. An individual dressed as Donald Duck, dancing erratically on the premises and adorned with a crude, orange hairpiece, was also a part of the demonstrations. The plain-clothed protestors were holding colorful signs that read “STAND AGAINST ANTI-MUSLIM BIGOTRY!”, and “[sic] We’ll Build a Wall AGAINST RACISM & BIGOTRY,” among other artistic displays.
“We want to build a wall, but a wall against bigotry and racism,” said Eugene Puryear, one of the primary ANSWER organizers of the protest. “We want to build a movement, but one that values unity over division.”
The wall in question was formed by the human bodies holding up the signs, lined up in single file before the entrance of the hotel. Protestors were white, black, Hispanic, and Middle Eastern, ranging from able-bodied to physically disabled. Disruptive as they were, the ANSWER protestors remained non-confrontational to those entering and exiting the building. Security in fine suits, out of reach from the protestors yet inches in reach of the structure, stood with their hands folded behind their backs. There was no expressiveness on their faces in spite of what was being said about their employer.
Puryear, speaking before a growing audience via a microphone, made the claim that one should look no further than see David Duke, a former KKK leader running for Senate, endorse Trump to get an idea of the nature of the potential next POTUS.
“If you believe in justice, equality, unity, fighting for working people and all these different things,” Puryear said, “then there is no way that David Duke can say anything positive about Trump.”
Puryear has been a lead organizer of ANSWER for ten years now. Not only that, Puryear is the founder of the Jobs Not Jails coalition, co-founder of the DCFerguson Movement, and authored a book about mass incarceration in the United States. In 2008 and 2016, he was the running mate of Gloria La Riva as a representative of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. La Riva, who was running for President of the United States, attended the protest, handing out flyers and offering signs to passersby.
ANSWER is a nonprofit, volunteer organization and its headquarters are centered within D.C. The coalition was founded after the September 11th terrorist attacks when it was apparent the U.S. government would use the attacks as an impetus to go to war, according to Natasha Persad, a volunteer of ANSWER since 2005. She emphasized the need for people to unite against elements of bigotry, racism, and hatred, elements which would be used “to whip up a war,” she said.
As ANSWER is a coalition-based organization, it is composed of various different groups. Their agenda in of itself is diverse, tackling issues such as gentrification, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Syrian refugee crisis, racism and bigotry, and others. Tackling diverse issues, ANSWER has influence in many places—they hold the distinction of organizing some of the largest anti-war protests ever, particularly against the Iraq invasion in January 2003.
“We have chapters all across the country like San Francisco, L.A, New York, here, Philly, Chicago,” Persad said. “We would always be protesting against racism, bigotry, all of those things.”
The protest, which began around 7 a.m., was not without its detractors, however. A Christian minister named Johnny Rice appeared later on to disrupt their narrative that Trump is a racist. Holding a polished shofar horn, a megaphone, and wearing a Trump 2016 t-shirt, Rice did not relent with his counterattack, trying to outperform ANSWER with his own noise.
“He’s against military invasions, against the Iraq invasion,” said Rice, “Trump’s talking about bringing the troops back [and to] stop invading the Middle East.” That’s what won Rice as a supporter.
Rice claimed Trump could not be a racist bigot if someone such as Don King or Mike Tyson endorses him. “That’s one of the points,” he said as for his reason being there; there was more than just out-of-context words that people should focus on as Rice sees it.
ANSWER plans to protest the Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C. again in October when it has its ‘real’ grand opening, not the ‘soft’ one as experienced this Monday.