Washington DC does not mess around. The KGB municipal and capital hill police are not your friends. They aren't like the police you're accustomed to and they're definitely not like most sheriffs.
AS I've mentioned previously, before I took the red pill nutritional plan in 2017, I used to be an event organizer for the Democratic Socialists. Activists know DC will prosecute whenever possible.
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Open carry is pretty much illegal. You are no use to us if they drag you off before we really need your help. Strength is in numbers. We are expecting to crowd out law enforcement 200 to 1. Don't get carried away at 8 AM when we need you later in the day.
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Avoid getting noticed within 1000 feet of schools, nurseries, parks, libraries & government housing. For reference, that's 3 football fields. In general, just stay 1 road down and you should be fine. Bring a map and mark out areas.
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Do not bring brass knuckles or other peculiar weapons. Because the 2nd amendment so clearly refers to firearms, DC politicians have gone after other weapons indiscriminately without legal challenges. Bring something blunt if you want protection: defensive flashlights work very well.
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Discrete rifle backpacks are the safest option.
If you don't want to take a firearm, defense sprays and stun guns are legal with some caveats: https://mpdc.dc.gov/page/mace-pepper-spray-self-defense-sprays-and-stun-guns