“This must be what heaven feels like,” a woman yelled as the gates opened to Vice President Kamala Harris’s rally at the Ellipse Tuesday afternoon. A DJ played Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely,” volunteers—many of them Howard University students—distributed light-up wristbands, and a “Family Fun” tent offered cotton candy, granola bars, water, and “Future Voter” coloring books.
The experience was not uniformly heavenly inside the rally, nor within the overflow crowds on Constitution Avenue and the Washington Monument grounds. Inside, attendees were packed tightly, and when Harris’s opening acts began, a counterprotest, amplified via bullhorns and banged pots, began on Constitution that overwhelmed the sound of the event for anyone nearby.
Attendees inside shared stories with each other. “I’m here because I had to cross state lines to get an abortion,” said Carolyn Benning, a single mother of two from Texas. “I’ve seen gun violence ravage my community,” a man from Chicago said. “I can’t lose another kid.”
Another shadow hung over the rally, which took place in the same spot Harris’s opponent, Donald Trump, spoke on January 6, 2021, before encouraging the crowd to march to the US Capitol. Craig Sicknick, whose brother Brian died in the ensuing attack, elicited a large boo from the audience when he said that Trump wanted to pardon the rioters.
After others spoke in support of Harris, a long DJ set ensued, blasting hits by Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez as the sun dropped. A woman at a barricade inside yelled, “Come on Kamala, I’ve got to teach in the morning!” Katy Perry’s “Roar” preceded the National Anthem, and finally Harris appeared. Maryann Wuthers, who is from DC, said she was moved to tears. “To have this final hurrah in DC,” she said, “where just four years ago rioters convened, we’ve made this a joyful space. That’s what I hope these next four years will be: joyful.”
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
