Activists to Protest in Tuscaloosa Saturday Over Trump’s Troop Deployments

Protestors are expected in downtown Tuscaloosa this weekend to demonstrate against President Donald Trump's use of federal troops to purportedly fight crime in the nation's capital.

The progressive Indivisible activist group is organizing the event, dubbed "We Are All D.C.!" as an act of solidarity with those in Washington, D.C., where more than 2,200 soldiers in the National Guard have been deployed since last month.

Trump sent in the Guard in August, claiming crime was out of control in Washington and that its homicide rate was the fourth-highest in America. The President has signaled that other U.S. cities could also see troops deployed there, specifically naming Chicago, Baltimore and New Orleans.

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Gubernatorial hopeful Tommy Tuberville has also said he would be open to deploying National Guard personnel as crime fighters and deterrents in Alabama cities such as Montgomery or Birmingham. 

The Saturday protest in Tuscaloosa is a demonstration against the use of the U.S. military in American cities in solidarity with the Free D.C. movement.

It will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Richard Shelby Federal Building and Courthouse on University Boulevard, just hours before the Crimson Tide kicks off their first home football game of the season in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Indivisible and other organizers have staged several protests in Tuscaloosa in the last year, and all have remained peaceful - they say Saturday will be no exception.

"A core principle behind all Indivisible events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values," they said in their event announcement.

For more coverage of news and events in West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.