The National Guard in Washington, D.C:

In August 2025, President Donald Trump announced that the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department would come under federal control, accompanied by the deployment of federal officers and National Guard troops. Introduced as a strategy to reduce crime, the decision quickly reshaped life in Washington, D.C., and sparked an immediate public response.

This photo series documents the shifting reality since that announcement. Armed National Guard members now stand watch over major transit hubs and landmarks, transforming familiar public spaces into guarded zones. Their presence creates a reminder of state power in places once defined by routine movement and civic gathering.

The photographs also reflect how residents have responded. Communities have taken to the streets in protest, carrying signs, chanting, and playing drums to call for alternatives rooted in local voices rather than federal command. To many, the deployment signals a loss of autonomy and freedom.

Alongside moments of confrontation, the series captures quiet intersections of daily life and military presence: neighbors talking near barricades, commuters pausing as soldiers pass, and families moving forward under watch. Together, these images trace a city negotiating power, safety, and democracy in its public spaces.

Probal Rashid

Probal Rashid is a Bangladeshi documentary photographer based in Washington D.C. He is passionate about human rights, social justice and environmental issues and believes responsible visual story-telling can raise questions that makes awareness regarding the issues.

His works have been published in many prominent national and international newspapers and magazines such as, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, Newsweek, Forbes, GEO and the Guardian. Moreover, his photographs have been exhibited and screened worldwide, including in Visa Pour l’Image in Perpignan, Head On Photo Festival in Australia, Alexey Brodovitch Gallery and Hearst Gallery in New York City, Somerset House in London, the Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts in Japan, Suwon Photo International Festival in South Korea, MAPKL White Box Gallery in Malaysia.

Probal is the recipient of numerous awards for his work including the Pictures of the Year International (POYi), Days Japan Photojournalism Award, China International Press Photo Award (CHIPP), NPPA’s Best of Photojournalism Awards, Yonhap International Press Photo Awards, KL International Photo award, FCCT/OnAsia Photojournalism Award, HIPA in UAE, International Year of Biodiversity Award, Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar Contest and the American Photography 41 Chosen  Winner.