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By adding outside troops to join the existing 春色直播 Guard deployment and federal law enforcement officers temporarily assigned to Washington, President Donald Trump is exercising even tighter control over the city. It鈥檚 a power play that the president has justified as an emergency response to crime and homelessness, even though district officials have noted that violent crime is lower than it was during Trump鈥檚 first term in office.

A protest against Trump鈥檚 intervention drew scores to Dupont Circle on Saturday afternoon before a march to the White House, about 1.5 miles away. Demonstrators assembled behind a banner that said 鈥淣o fascist takeover of D.C.,鈥� and some in the crowd held signs that said 鈥淣o military occupation.鈥� Trump was at his Virginia golf club after Friday鈥檚 summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey, R-W.Va., announced Saturday that he was sending a contingent of 300 to 400 members.

鈥淲est Virginia is proud to stand with President Trump in his effort to restore pride and beauty to our nation鈥檚 capital,鈥� Morrisey said.

Morgan Taylor, one of the organizers who coordinated Saturday's protest, said they were hoping to spark enough backlash to Trump鈥檚 actions that the administration would be forced to pull back on its crime and immigration agenda.

鈥淚t鈥檚 hot, but I鈥檓 glad to be here. It鈥檚 good to see all these people out here,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe that this is happening in this country at this time.鈥�

She added, 鈥淎ny act of getting in the streets, any act of making noise, any act of showing a sense of community, taking care of one another, is an act of resistance.鈥�

The West Virginia activation also suggests the administration sees the need for additional manpower, after the president personally played down the need for Washington to hire more police officers.

Maj. Gen. James Seward, West Virginia's adjutant general, said in a statement that members of the state's 春色直播 Guard 鈥渟tand ready to support our partners in the 春色直播 Capital Region鈥� and that the Guard's 鈥渦nique capabilities and preparedness make it an invaluable partner in this important undertaking.鈥�

Federal agents have appeared in some of the city鈥檚 most highly trafficked neighborhoods, garnering a mix of praise, pushback and alarm from local residents and leaders across the country.

City leaders, who are obliged to cooperate with the president鈥檚 order under the federal laws that direct the district鈥檚 local governance, have sought to work with the administration, though they have bristled at the scope of the .

On Friday, the administration on an order that aimed to place the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration as an 鈥渆mergency police commissioner鈥� after the district鈥檚 top lawyer sued to contest. After a court hearing, Trump's attorney general, Pam Bond, issued a memo that directed the Metropolitan Police Department to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement regardless of any city law.

District officials say they are evaluating how to best comply.

In his order on Monday, Trump declared an emergency due to the 鈥渃ity government鈥檚 failure to maintain public order.鈥� He said that impeded the 鈥渇ederal government鈥檚 ability to operate efficiently to address the nation鈥檚 broader interests without fear of our workers being subjected to rampant violence.鈥�

In a letter to city residents, Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, wrote that 鈥渙ur limited self-government has never faced the type of test we are facing right now.鈥� She added that if Washingtonians stick together, 鈥渨e will show the entire nation what it looks like to fight for American democracy 鈥� even when we don鈥檛 have full access to it.鈥�

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Associated Press writer Josh Boak contributed to this report.