Several thousand protesters gathered on the west lawn of the Capitol on April 15 to demand that President Trump release his tax returns. The DC rally was one of many such protests held around the country on the traditional day for filing income taxes. Organized by several progressive groups, the crowd was addressed by several Members of Congress as well as organizational leaders.
The highlight was a fake Donald Trump, introduced with Presidential fanfare, whose impersonation of the real Donald Trump was good enough to meet the standards of Saturday Night Live. His lapel pin was an upside down American flag, which is a common sign of distress. “Trump” announced that he was finally releasing his tax returns as two men dressed like secret service agents stacked several cardboard boxes on the stage. They opened them and released mounds of shredded paper into the applauding crowd.
In the crowd was a man doing a pretty good imitation of Vice President Mike Pence. Wearing very short shorts, he wore a lapel button which said “MIKE HOT-PENCE cares”. This was a play on “hot pants” which was a fashion garment introduced in 1970. At one time, airlines required stewardesses to wear them as part of their uniform.
The most common prop was a chicken. Chicken balloons, large and small, flew about the lawn. Also popular were signs in Russian or with the hammer and sickle or linking Trump with Putin.
After two hours of sitting on the lawn in the warm sun listening to speakers, the marchers lined up to walk down Pennsylvania to the TRUMP hotel at 12th St. After a little jeering from across the street, they turned toward the Mall where the march ended. Police presence was very light and there were no incidents.
