Hundreds march in Washington, D.C., for the "We Are All
D.C." protest against President Trump’s National Guard deployment, raising
alarms over civil liberties...
**** Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases three somewhat randomly selected YouTube videos of those marches/rallies. The YouTube videos that are showcased in this post are representative of multiple other current videos of that protest marches and
rallies, including other "Free DC" snd "No Kings" protests.
Thispancocojams post also documents some chants that are included in YouTube videos of a massive protest march and rally that was held on September 6, 2025 in Washington, D.C. against ICE and against the federalization of Washington D.C.'s National Guard along with other causes, including calling for statehood for Washington, D.C. These "Free DC" protests are nearing their one month mark.*
The content of this post is presented for historical, political, and socio-cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who participated peacefully in this protest march/rally and in other protest marches and rallies for these causes. Thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube. -snip- Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/08/videos-of-washington-dc-protests-august.html for a closely related pancocojams post entitled "Videos Of Washington DC Protests August 11 & 12, 2025 (After Trump Announces That He'll Seize Control Of DC.'s Police And Will Deploy That City's National Guard)".
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Thousands protest for a 'Free DC' on the fourth week of
federal control in Washington
Associated Press, Sep 6, 2025
Thousands of protesters marched across Washington, D.C., on
Saturday in one of the largest demonstrations against President Donald Trump's
federal takeover of policing in the nation’s capital. (AP video: Mike Pesoli)
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - Thousands march in DC demanding troopwithdrawal as chants of “Free D.C.” echo near the White House
ANI News, Sep 6, 2025 #FreeDC
#WeAreAllDC #DCProtests
Thousands march in DC demanding troop withdrawal as chants
of “Free D.C.” echo near the White House
****
SOME PROTEST CHANTS HEARD AT THE SEPTEMBER 6, 2025 WASHINGTON, D.C. MARCH AND RALLY AGAINST ICE AND THE FEDERALIZATION OF THE NATIONAL GUARD IN WASHINGTON D.C.
These chants have been gleaned from various online videos and articles about the Washington D.C. "Free DC" rallies from August 2025 to September 6, 2025.
This compilation isn't a complete listing of the chants that I heard in these showcased videos.
Additions and corrections are welcome.
For the historical record, please add more examples of these chants and also add lyrics for the songs that are included in some of videos of these protest marches and rallies in the discussion thread below. Thanks.
Note about call & response chants in this compilation: I've included a statement in brackets of whether these chants appeared to be spoken in unison or in call and response format (sometimes including drum beats for the call and the protestors responding together with the words).
Call & response chants are led by one designated person at a protest march or a protest rally and responded to by the rest of the attendees at the rally or by protestors in that portion of the march.
Most unison chants can also be performed as call & response chants.
A, B
****
C, D
**** E, F
"¡El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!" (Spanish; English translation of this chant is "The people united will never be defeated). [unison chant ]
** "End the occupation now!"
** "Free
DC" [unison chant] or [call & response chant]
In one video I watched a male protestor responded to other protestors chanting "Free DC with the words "Say what?" . The other protestors then chanted "Free DC" and the same male protestor chanted "Say it louder!".
**** G, H
"Hey Hey Ho Ho:/ Donald Trump has got to go" [unison chant]
**
"Hey hey ho ho" / I. C. E. has got to go [unison chant]
**** I, J
"ICE go home".
**** K, L
**** M, N
"No hate no fear/ immigrants are welcome here" [unison chant]
**** O, P
"Our streets, not yours".
**** Q, R
**** S, T
"Si, se puede!" (Spanish; one English translation: "Yes, we can!" [call & response chant or unison chant ]
** "State hood" [unison chant]
** "The people united will never be defeated" [unison chant]
** Call- "This is what we want to hear" / Response- Viva la vida! (a chant in English and Spanish; the Spanish words loosely translated as "Long live this life" [call & response chant] ****
U, V
****
W, X
"We
Are All D.C." [unison chant'
**
Call -"What do we do when we’re under attack?" / Response- "Stand up & fight back" [call & response chant]
@TonyMichaelsPodcast,
August, 12, 2025 -snip- This is a video of a Washington D. C. protest on August 11, 2025 in response to Trump federalizing the Washington D.C. police and deploying D.C.'s National Guard because of "rampant crime and squalor" in that city.
This video documents the "I believe that we will win" chant being performed as a "round".
This chant is accompanied by (individual) rhythmic hand clapping.
**** Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents some some information about and YouTube videos of the "I believe that we will win" chant (also known as the "I Believe" chant) performed at political events and protest rallies.
This post also presents some information about the "round" song formation that is used by some protest groups who chant "I believe that we will win".
The Addendum of this post presents a YouTube video of Pittbull's 20- Pop music video of the "I believe we will win" chant. Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/08/sport-examples-of-i-believe-that-we.html for a pancocojams post that presents information about and YouTube videos of the "I believe will win" chant performed at sports event.
The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, and political purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Jay Rodriguez, the creator of this chant. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to all the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
**** INFORMATION ABOUT THE " I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN" CHANT From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_believe_that_we_will_win! " "I believe that we will win!" is a chant commonly performed at American sporting events. Originating in the Naval Academy Preparatory School, it became a tradition among fans and students of the United States Naval Academy, with other schools later also adapting the phrase. In 2014, the chant gained national recognition as a rallying call among United States men's national soccer team (USMNT) fans for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, becoming an unofficial motto of The American Outlaws supporters' group.
The chant is a call and response interaction between two parties. It begins with one call of "I", "I believe", followed by "I believe that", and "I believe that we", before concluding with repeated shouts of "I believe that we will win!"[1]
History
In 1998, Naval Academy Preparatory School (NAPS) student Jay Rodriguez was assigned to create a chant to be used by his platoon and came up with "I believe that we will win!". It was first used during a NAPS basketball game against the United States Military Academy Preparatory School in Newport, Rhode Island. A year later, now a Naval Academy student, Rodriguez taught it to his classmate, cheerleader Corey Strong, who began using it during the 1999 Army–Navy Game; in the fourth quarter of the 19–9 Navy victory, Strong led the 4,000-student Brigade of Midshipmen in the chant.[3] In 2003, the Midshipmen team showed marked improvement over their 3–30 record in the last three years; during a game against the No. 25-ranked Air Force Falcons at FedExField, Navy students began reciting the chant as the Midshipmen won 28–25. In preparation for the Army–Navy Game later that year, Navy sold T-shirts with the phrase written on them.[2] The chant is currently performed by midshipmen in the closing stages of a victory.[3]
The chant eventually spread to other college sports, with fans of the Utah State Aggies men's basketball team adopting its usage in 2009.[4] .
[...]
Non-sports usage
After the death of Osama bin Laden in 2011, the Naval Academy celebrated with Commandant Robert E. Clark II. Clark led the midshipmen in a modified chant of "I believe that we have won!"[17]
The chant has also seen use in protest, such as during the Occupy Wall Street march in 2011. The Florida-based organization Dream Defenders adopted the phrase for protests following the 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin, used during a protest at the Florida state capital in 2012.[18] Phil Agnew of the Dream Defenders also led the chant during the 50th anniversary of the "March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom" in 2013, leading to its nationwide prominence during Black Lives Matter protests between 2012 and 2016.[19]
On April 13, 2020, Pitbull released a promotional single titled "I Believe That We Will Win (World Anthem)" (which samples the "I believe that we will win!" chant) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The song inspires those affected by the COVID-19 outbreak to lift themselves up and rise above the situation. The promotional single was premiered in full on April 12 on the virtual TrillerFest, and made its TV debut on April 13 on Good Morning America. An accompanying music video was also released. Pitbull is donating all proceeds from song sales, streaming, and views to COVID-19 affiliated nonprofits.[20]” -snip- The original way of performing the "I believe that we will win" chant is in a call and response pattern as described above in that Wikipedia page. This Wikipedia description doesn't note that a lead caller or callers begin the chant and that when the entire chant is shouted in unison, the chanters are quite boisterous and are usually jumping up and down while they are chanting.
Eventually, some people modified that pattern of performing the "I believe that we will win" chant. Instead of using that call and response pattern, chanters use/d a pattern in which the entire line of the chant is repeated in unison, or the chanters were/are divided into two groups who perform the chant as a musical round.
This "round" pattern results in a much more rhythmic rendition of the "I believe that we will win" chant. I've only come across a few examples of either one of these modified performance styles for the "I Believe That We Will Win" chant, and -with regard to the "in the round" version, the same Washington D.C. (August 11, 2025) video clip that is showcased as Video #1 in this pancocojams post has been published in at least two different YouTube videos
**** INFORMATION ABOUT SINGING IN "ROUNDS" From AI Overview [This is the result of my Google search question "What does singing in a round mean?"] "Singing in rounds, also known as a canon, means multiple
singers or groups sing the same melody, but they start at different times. This
creates a layered effect where different parts of the melody overlap, resulting
in a harmonious and sometimes complex sound. It's a simple form of
part-singing, as only one melody line needs to be learned by all singers.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
Start at different times:
One group begins the melody, and as they move into the next
phrase or line, another group starts the same melody from the beginning.
Overlapping melodies:
Because of the staggered start, different groups are singing
different parts of the melody simultaneously, creating a layered effect.
Repetition:
When a group reaches the end of the melody, they often
repeat it from the beginning, continuing the round.
Simple but effective:
While the melody is usually simple, the overlapping parts
can create interesting harmonies and a sense of musical complexity.
Examples:
Popular examples of rounds include "Row, Row, Row Your
Boat," "Are You Sleeping (Frère Jacques)," and "Kookaburra".
**** SELECTED VIDEOS OF " I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN" CHANT (at political and protest events)
These examples are given in chronological order except for Video #1.
Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.
VIDEO #1 This video is given at the top of this pancocojams post.
**** VIDEO #2- Black Lives Matter New Year's Eve: I Believe That We Will Win
Grassroots DC, Jan 5, 2016
"Footage from the Black Lives Matter Movement in Washington,
DC. After no one was indicted in
connection with the deaths of Sandra Bland and Tamir Rice, activists organized
the march and rally, "Turn Up to Shut It Down in Chinatown" on New
Year's Eve, 2015. Activists marched from Chinatown to 14th Street NW and U
Street NW. Shutting down strategic
intersections as they passed through the epicenter of gentrification in the
District of Columbia.
My favorite moment from the night was when march organizers
led this spirited and inspirational chant." -snip- This video documents "I believe that we will win" chant being performed in a call and
response pattern.
**** VIDEO #3 - Hillary Clinton supporters chant "I believe that we
will win!" at final 2016 campaign rally
-snip- This video documents "I believe that we will win" chant being performed in a call and response pattern
**** VIDEO #4-Chanting and singing "I believe that we will win "Women's March Washington DC Saturday 10/8/22
e mad,Oct 10, 2022 -snip- This video documents "I believe we will win" chant being initially performed in the call and response pattern as described in Wikipedia
page. The rally participants then were divided into two groups. The first group begins the chant, singing the entire line slowly. The second group begins the chant after the first group and sings the entire line much faster. This pattern continues throughout the chant performance.
In this video a Black man and a Black woman who presumably are part of the protest group spontaneously (?) perform a traditional West African dance in front of protestors who are standing still and chanting. The chant's beat and the chanters' [individual] hand clapping provide the beat for that dance.
**** ADDENDUM - Pitbull - I Believe That We Will Win | World Anthem
(Official Video)
Protesters took to the streets after Donald Trump said he
was deploying national guard troops to Washington DC and temporarily taking
over the city's police department.
The US president claimed it was necessary because 'our
capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals'.
In January, the metropolitan police department and US attorney’s office
released a report indicating total violent crime in DC in 2024 was down 35%
from the previous year, marking the lowest rate in more than 30 years. 'This is
not about crime, this is about control,' says Samantha Davis, an organizer at
Free DC. 'This is not about public safety, this is about power'
This pancocojams post documents some YouTube videos of protests on August 11 & August 12, 2025 in Washington D.C., the capitol of the United States. These protests are being held after Trump announced on August 11, 2025 that he was seizing control of that city's police department and would also be deploying Washington D. C's National Guard in that city.
The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, and political purposes. I'm interested in documenting - the fact that there are protests -how those protests are being reported/described -who is protesting -and how people are protesting (particularly whether protestors are chanting, which chants they are saying, and whether these chants are similar or different from older protests chants).
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are peacefully protesting these actions and thanks for the publishers of these videos on YouTube. -snip- Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/09/some-protest-chants-heard-at-september.html for a closely related pancocojams post entitled "Some Protest Chants Heard At The September 6, 2025 Washington, D.C. March And Rally Against ICE & Against The Federalizing The National Guard In Washington, D. C." -snip- Here's a comment that reflects my sentiments about these protests. [This comment is from the discussion thread for the video short given as Video #6 below.]
@maudeanabel4441, August 12, 2025 published around 7PM EDT] "So proud of all these people in DC marching, holding signs
displaying their grieviances and
standing for their rights, justice,freedom, the Constitution and America!"
**** Also, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/08/the-history-of-protest-chant-people.html for the pancocojams post "The History Of The Protest Chant "The People United Will Never Be Defeated". The comments that I added to the discussion thread of that post includes a link to an August 11, 2025 Washington D.C protest rally in which this chant can be heard: "A D.C. united will never be defeated." This is a modification of the iconic Chilean protest chant " A people united can never be defeated."
**** A BRIEF ANALYSIS OF PARTICIPANTS AT THESE WASHINGTON D.C'S PROTEST MARCHES AND RALLIES The August 11/August 12th 2025 Washington D.C. protests appear to have more Black people than most of the other videos of recent American [USA] protests that I have seen. Most of the Black protestors who I've seen protesting in these videos are young adult or middle age women and men.
That said, it appears to me that most of the protestors appear to be White young adult or middle age women and men.
**** SHOWCASE VIDEOS These videos were selected somewhat randomly from a number of other YouTube videos on this protest. Numbers are assigned to these videos for referencing purposes only.
SHOWCASE VIDEO #1 This video is found at the top of this post.
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Trump orders federal forces to 'liberate' Washington D.C.
5NEWS, Aug 11, 2025
Protesters demonstrated outside the White House.
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO -#3 - 'FREE DC:' Residents PROTEST Against Trump's Federalization
Of DC Police, National Guard | TRENDING
The Hill, Aug 11, 2025
NewsNation's Joe Khalil is on the ground in Washington, D.C.
covering a protest against President Trump's effort to federalize the
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the National Guard via the District of
Columbia Home Rule Act’s Section 740.
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #4- Crowds Rage In DC Over Trump's Troop Move
CNN-News18, August 12, 2025
#donaldtrump #DC #latestnews
United States President Donald Trump on Monday invoked a
“crime emergency” in the US capital, allowing his Department of Justice to take
control of Washington, DC’s local law enforcement. He simultaneously announced
the Pentagon would deploy US National Guard forces to the city of more than
700,000.
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #5 - Protests Erupt in Washington as Trump Seizes Control of
Police, Deploys National Guard | APT
APT, Aug 12, 2025
#TrumpDCProtests #NationalGuard #WashingtonUnrest
Washington Protest: Tensions boiled over in Washington,
D.C., as U.S. President Donald Trump assumed direct control of the city’s
police force and ordered the deployment of the National Guard. The move sparked
immediate protests near the White House, with demonstrators accusing Trump of
authoritarian overreach. Officials say the action aims to restore order amid
growing unrest, while critics warn it could escalate tensions further. Heavy
security measures are in place, and streets around key government buildings
remain sealed off.
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #6- The People Of Washington DC Ain't Having It!!
I haven't found any information about this protest rally (i.e. Where in Washington D. C. it was held and who sponsored it. Please share that information in the discussion thread for this pancocojams post.
The total number of comments for this YouTube video as of as of August 12, 2025 at 11:37 PM EDT-2,860 [This viewer number is steadily increasing. On August 12, 2025 at 11:55 PM EDT the total number of viewer comments is 2, 956.]
This video has 25K likes at 11:53 PM EDT.
Most of the comments in the discussion thread for this YouTube video short are in support of protests against Trump's federalizing the D.C. police and deploying the D.C. National Guard, among the actions that Trump has done in his second term as US President. Some of the comments in that video's discussion thread are from people outside of the USA.
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #7 - DC residents push back on Trump police takeover
@USATODAY August 12, 2025
DC residents push back on Trump police takeover #Shorts -snip- Among the chants that are heard in this video is "Our DC united will never be defeated." -snip- This chant is an adaptation of the now classic chant "A people united will never be defeated" whose source is a mid 1970s Chilean music composition that was created to protest that nation's government.
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #8 - WATCH: Massive Protest Erupts Outside White House During
Trump Speech | AC1G
DRM News, Aug 11, 2025
#WashingtonDC #FreeDC #Protest
"Massive protests erupted outside the White House
as President Donald Trump addressed the nation on crime in Washington, D.C.
Demonstrators chanted against federal control of the DC police and the
deployment of National Guard troops. The tension-filled scene unfolded as Trump
delivered a fiery speech inside."... -snip- Two examples of chants in this protest are -the call and response chant "What do we do when ___ are under attack? [response-"Stand up. Fight back".
There was a huge rally in the heart of San Francisco’s
Chinatown Saturday to show solidarity with the city’s Asian residents. John
Ramos reports. (3-20-21)
**** Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents an article excerpt about rallies that were held in various United States cities in support of Asian Americans who are experiencing a large increase in anti-Asian assaults.
The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who denounce racism and work to make this nation live up to its ideals.
I remain in solidarity with Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and other Asians against racism.
Paraphrasing a woman in the video embedded below, "We as a society need to provide safety for everyone and it's clear that isn't happening".
In Atlanta, San Francisco, Pittsburgh and beyond, crowds gathered to demand justice for the victims of the Georgia spa shootings.
Kate Brumback, 03/20/2021
11:33 pm ET "ATLANTA (AP) — A diverse crowd gathered Saturday near the
Georgia state Capitol to demand justice for the victims of recent shootings at
massage businesses and to denounce racism, xenophobia and misogyny.
Hundreds of people of all ages and varied racial and ethnic
backgrounds gathered in Liberty Plaza in Atlanta, and in similar rallies across
the country, waving signs and chanting slogans.
In Atlanta, they cheered U.S. Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon
Ossoff, and Georgia state Rep. Bee Nguyen, the first Vietnamese American to
serve in the Georgia House.
“I just wanted to drop by to say to my Asian sisters and
brothers, we see you, and, more importantly, we are going to stand with you,”
Warnock said to loud cheersas passing drivers honked car horns in support.
Robert Aaron Long, a 21-year-old white man, is accused of
killing four people inside two Atlanta spas and four others at a massage
business about 30 miles (50 kilometers) away in suburban Cherokee County. Six
of the eight people killed Tuesday were women of Asian descent. Another person
was shot but survived.
Investigators have said Long confessed to the slayings but
said they weren’t racially motivated. He claimed to have a sex addiction, which
caused him to lash out at what he saw as sources of temptation, according to
authorities. Police have said they’re still working to establish a motive,
including looking into whether the attacks can be classified as hate crimes.
Georgia lawmakers last year passed a hate crimes law
allowing additional penalties for certain offenses when motivated by a victim’s
race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender or
disability. A hate crime is not a standalone crime under Georgia law, but can
be used to add time to a sentence of someone convicted of another crime.
“No matter how you want to spin it, the facts remain the
same. This was an attack on the Asian community,” said Nguyen, an advocate for
women and communities of color. She noted the shooter targeted businesses
operated by women of Asian descent.
[...]
A couple hundred people gathered in a separate Atlanta park and marched through the streets to join the larger rally, chanting “Stop Asian hate” and “We are what America looks like.”
Frankie Laguna, 23, who grew up in Atlanta and now lives in Tennessee, was an organizer of that group. She told the crowd she was the first person in her family born in the U.S. after her mother arrived from Taiwan.
“I’m sick of being belittled and hypersexualized and hated for who I am, for something I can’t
change,” she said as the group marched.
[...]
Similar rallies were held from coast to coast. In San Francisco, hundreds gathered in Portsmouth Square, in the middle of Chinatown, to grieve the victims and to call for an end to racist and sexist violence against Asian Americans. The participants waved signs reading “stop Asian hate.”
In Pittsburgh, hundreds also rallied, and videos posted to social media showed former Grey’s Anatomy actress and Golden Globe Award winner Sandra Oh speaking to the crowd.
“I will challenge everyone here … If you see one of our sisters and brothers in need, will you help us?” she said, later yelling into a megaphone: “I am proud to be Asian! I belong here!”
In Chicago, about 300 people gathered and in New York City, hundreds marched from Times Square to Chinatown, news outlets reported."
****
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