Nearly a half century ago, President Richard Nixon’s supporters felt the country needed a pep rally on the Fourth of July. But their plans took a turn for the worse when anti-war marijuana activists — some missing their clothes — entered the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and approached the stage.
Waving North Vietnam and cannabis-leaf flags, the group countered the speeches and music of “Honor America Day” with their own “Honor America Day Smoke-in,” shoving vehicles into the water, chanting slogans, and stealing the show.
“The entire crowd hopped into the pool and walked past the police,” recalls Dana Beal, a lead organizer of the 1970 protest. “Three times the cops came in and dispersed us, but eventually they couldn’t disperse us because people came to watch the fireworks and it was too crowded.”
This year, President Trump risks a similar debacle, as activists mull what to do in response to his July Fourth “Salute to America” event, which he announced last month on Twitter, saying it would be “one of the biggest gatherings in the history of Washington, D.C.,” featuring “entertainment and an address by your favorite President, me!”
Although no major national organization has called for a protest, little planning is needed, and activists currently are discussing ideas, including how to gain visibility in a sea of tourists and Trump supporters.
With four months to plan, they have plenty of time. Protests in the Trump era generally are well-attended, and the 1970 counter-rally was organized in less than two months.
Adam Eidinger, the co-founder of the D.C. Cannabis Campaign and an organizer of many large demonstrations in Washington, said the group is having a two-week brainstorming period. Early ideas include an inflatable 51-feet joint with a message to Trump and pot giveaways.
Eidinger, whose focus presently is on a plot to gift viable pot seeds to congressional offices on April 2 in a bid to encourage home cultivation, said he’s open to working with anti-war groups on a large demonstration.
Although Trump has expressed support for local autonomy as 10 states and D.C. legalized recreational marijuana, advocates want him to do more, including “de-scheduling” marijuana, making it federally legal.
Anti-war activists also support some of Trump’s agenda, including his decision to reduce troops in Afghanistan and Syria. But they oppose other policies, including his support for the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen.
When Trump planned to have a military parade on Veterans Day in November, Eidinger partnered with anti-war group Code Pink to plan a rally they expected to draw tens of thousands. Trump ultimately canceled the parade, citing costs.
“We should certainly do something” on the Fourth, said Medea Benjamin, the Code Pink co-founder who became a nationally recognized figure interrupting officials on Capitol Hill. Benjamin was in Iran when Trump announced his celebration and has not yet crafted plans.
The ANSWER Coalition, whose acronym stands for Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, staged the largest permitted demonstration at Trump’s inauguration, but did not comment on potential activities. Several anti-fascist activists who organized a black-clad, window-smashing march during Trump’s inauguration also did not respond to requests for comment.
Eidinger, whose exploits include organizing a large smoke-in along Pennsylvania Avenue to target then-President Barack Obama and a joint-rolling session in the office of then-attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions, said he fears that Trump may be baiting protesters to serve his own ends and that his contingent may try a less-combative approach.
“I feel like the antifa DisruptJ20 [inauguration] coalition, they did take the bait, like full on. They were like, ‘We’re going to riot!’” Eidinger said. “I think if we’re waving American flags and cannabis flags and we have pretty hats on and we’re giving out joints near a 51-foot joint that everyone wants to take a picture of, I think a lot of Republicans who come to the celebration will be like, ‘These people are cool, and they’re American too.’”
Beal, the 1970 organizer, plans to be in Washington on July 4, but he’s not sure what demonstration he’s attending, relinquishing a leadership role to focus on other projects, including his effort to legalize the drug ibogaine to treat addictions.
“If we could, we would have an effective demonstration against Trump. But I don’t know that it would be perceived as anti-Trump,” Beal said, adding that while some are displeased, “Trump’s marijuana policy is America first. And it’s working pretty well, man. Because basically pot has never been as cheap or as accessible as it is right now.”
If anyone does choose to wade naked through the Reflecting Pool, Beal offered a word of caution.
“I wouldn’t try that again,” he said. “There’s broken glass at the bottom of the Reflecting Pool.”
