Protesting is becoming a frequent activity for Washington, D.C. residents, according to The New York Times.
"I did notice that it's getting to be more of a type of social event. Folks I normally go to brunch with, we go to protests," said Denisha Jones, assistant professor at Trinity Washington University.
Protests are on the rise as the weather turns to spring and summer. Mike Litterst of the National Park Service said the agency has had around 200 requests since the beginning of 2017 for demonstrations on parklands, which includes the National Mall.
At around the same time last year, there had been 50, The Times notes.
All Souls Unitarian, a Washington church that has made social issues part of its worship, has seen an influx of worshippers. The church's Sunday service has about 200 more people each week than before Donald Trump was elected, said Rev. Dr. Robert M. Hardies, the church's senior minister.
"You come to church and you're with your people," Hardies said.
Protests are so frequent that interested parties must choose where to participate, The Times reports.
"There seems to be something going on every day," said Wajiha Rais, a lawyer. She attended the Day Without a Woman protest during her lunch hour.
Calling protests "resistance" seems to be making such movements more open.
"The word 'protest' often gets a bad rap. 'Resistance' is also a little more acceptable and safer," said Rachel L. Einwohner, a professor at Purdue University.
Republican legislators in 18 states have introduced bills to crack down on protesting, according to a Feb. 24 report in The Washington Post.
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