A group of anarchists is planning to lead protesters to Washington and in cities around the U.S. to ruin the Donald Trump inauguration, its organizer told the Washington Examiner.
The group is called #DisruptJ20, and its organizer, Legba Carrefour, said the goal is not to stop the inauguration.
"That is a physical impossibility," he said. "We are making the argument that we can ruin the notion that this is a peaceful transition of power."
Carrefour said the first part of his plan is to block entrances into the city, "especially from the south," and to make entering D.C. from Virginia an "absolute nightmare."
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The second part involves stopping people from attending the event's festivities by blockading checkpoints. Carrefour told the Examiner that his group would block checkpoints with protesters that champion climate change and Black Lives Matter.
At the checkpoints, the protesters will stand in people's way or perform "technical lockdowns," such as the "sleeping dragon," in which protesters chain or cement their arms into PVC piping, so that removing them would injure the protester.
The #DisruptJ20 group plans multiple marches after that; Carrefour told the Examiner the group has obtained permits for the marches from the government.
An "anti-capitalist" march starting at Logan Circle will be "confrontational," Carrefour said, while another march will contain liberals who oppose Trump.
The organizer said the protesters are ready for physical incidents.
"We are preparing for the possibility of sporadic fights breaking out because people are very emotional about this. So it wouldn't shock us if confrontations did occur, however, we do not anticipate any kind of mass melee to occur," Carrefour said.
The protesters have legal help ready in case arrests are made.
Metropolitan Police Department spokeswoman Margarita Mikhaylova told the Examiner that police are prepared for the inauguration.
"Although we do not discuss operational strategy or tactics, MPD is prepared to both protect the rights of individuals to exercise their First Amendment rights and ensure public safety," she said in an email.
#DisruptJ20's goal is to leave an impression, Carrefour said.
"If, honestly, the headline the next day is 'Trump inaugurated to thunderous applause, no trouble happens,' that would be a failure."
Protesters in Carrefour's group said they hope these protests "set the tone" for the next four years.
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