Tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied in Washington, Austin, Chicago and dozens of other U.S. cities on Saturday in what organizers said were more than 300 coordinated events across 44 states. The “Fight the Trump Takeover” protests targeted President Donald Trump’s effort to redraw congressional maps in Texas and to place Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department under federal control. In the U.S. capital, thousands marched from Dupont Circle to the White House chanting “Free D.C.” while National Guard troops and federal officers stood guard. The deployment followed Trump’s order earlier in the week invoking the Home Rule Act to assume command of local policing and combat what he called a crime emergency. Legal pushback intensified ahead of the marches. District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb sued to block the takeover, and a federal judge appointed by President Biden issued a temporary restraining order. After the hearing, the administration said Police Chief Pamela Smith would remain in charge but must allow her department to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Attorney General Pam Bondi, whom Trump placed in charge of the operation, had already named Drug Enforcement Administration Director Terry Cole as emergency police commissioner and deputized U.S. Secret Service and DC Metro Transit officers as special deputy marshals, granting them warrantless arrest powers—steps critics argue exceed federal authority. Redistricting plans in Texas supplied the other spark. Republicans aim to gain five additional U.S. House seats, a move stalled when more than 50 Democratic state lawmakers fled Austin two weeks ago. Several of those legislators joined a Chicago rally, while former Congressman Beto O’Rourke addressed thousands outside the Texas Capitol. Organizers said further nationwide actions are planned for the Labor Day holiday.