Take this at face value, call me a glowie, or kiss my ass. Either way...

I can't speak to the individual security practices of the DC police. But I can speak to some of the technology that may be deployed. If you plan to take torches and pitchforks into DC, you already know the risks, but let me advise you of the following:

1. It sounds like the president will be addressing the crowd. The Secret Service is not your enemy, particularly in the context of our visit to DC, they protect Trump and will do so with deadly efficiency. Please do not make their lives harder or distract them, we need Trump safe.

This means:

If you are carrying any gear they would object to, do not try to see the president speak in person, be outside of that "zone" as there will be extensive security screening, much of which you won't see. If you try, you will very probably be caught, have a difficult 10+ yrs ahead of you, and you will not be doing any of us any favors. Street level screening points are probably easily noticed and not passed, but screening points will probably also be at exits to the metro / mass transit, and it's a lot harder to say "oops" and turn around at that point without a spotlight being on you for being the only dude turning tail in a crowd all headed one direction.

Advice: Walk the end, don't take the metro to the last leg(s). Use good judgement. The SS wouldn't be doing their jobs if you could easily sneak past security points, anything that looks like an easy bypass is probably not there by accident.

Just watch on the jumbotrons or stay on the outskirts of DC as backup.

If it were me, I think I'd lean first toward "acceptable" tools, such as a very solid versatile flag pole, and bear spray combined with protective gear/clothing... with the more objectionable stuff deeply hidden and disguised back in the car, hotel room, etc. that can be retrieved if the tides shift and it were required. Unless you're in a very large organized and trained group, my best advice is to play it safe, at least at first.

Good Luck Pedes