Quote History Quoted:Given the likelihood of a big crowd, probably best to forget about parking in DC.
Might consider looking for hotels/parking anywhere along the Metro
orange line route and take Metro into town.
Not to be a dumbass here but any carry in DC is verboten. Apparently, a couple from OK open carried on their way out from the last rally and got jammed up with the law.
Saw lots of people with canes and big walking sticks last time. Might be a good idea this time. Expect to be in a group and stay alert on the way back to Metro after the rally--especially anywhere around Lafayette park. Twilight Zone territory.
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Above, either take the Dulles metro or the VRE train from Quantico
http://www.dullesmetro.com/
https://www.vre.org/service/stations/quantico/
After that your best bet is to rent a hotel room in Arlington and go in by metro.
Have Uber/Lfyt on your phone as a back up. When you decide to leave, join a pack of people leaving. Local ANTIFA The/They collective have spotters dressed in regular clothes and will try to pick off older or out of shape CHUDs for a beating or mobile struggle session using swarm and sucker punch tactics. They are straight up sociopaths, and usually have local project dwellers as auxiliaries. If your in a group they simply pick some on else.
Sprays; https://mpdc.dc.gov/page/mace-pepper-spray-self-defense-sprays-and-stun-guns
This can go both ways so wear clear eye pro.
No guns of any kind in D.C., no open carry or any gun like thing. You will get a SWAT SRT like response. Plenty of plain clothes cops in the crowds and buildings calling in problems or suspicious people.
Also keep in mind this is one of the most heavily surveilled places on earth, with the DoJ, the pentagon, hundreds of embassies, business and the USSS all sharing data.
Factor in lots and lots of cell phone tracking to keep all of these places safe from non leftist terrorists.
Cops here have occasionally let suspects use their phones to call home so they can collect on what info is on the phone.
Bail is usually cheap and can be paid with a credit card.
Knives, keep them inside your pocket of jacket and not clipped to the outside as the cops can claim they saw the knife clip on the outside of a pants pocket as an excuse to detain some one.
Law Enforcement; In D.C. there are protests of some kind all year round, the cops are not on your side, even if your a back the blue type guy. There are simply too many protests. The local government is mostly incompetent but will bring the racisms/hate crimes card out in arrests and prosecutions if they get the chance.
Law Enforcement around D.C. are always on the look out for terrorism, but some departments are more competent than others.
Hotels in the area do cooperate with local and federal L.E. particularly the Secret Service and DEA. Arlington is a better bet than Alexandria. Metro is quick and efficient, but also maxxed out with cameras. I have not heard of any attacks by ANTIFA types once folks are inside METRO spces or in front of hotels, but plenty en route to them.