Protest Pizza + Bar

DC should be governed by the people who live here. Full stop.

This one was an easy yes.

Protest Pizza signed the Local Businesses for a Free DC pledge because DC should be governed by the people who live here. Full stop.

If you’ve spent any time at Protest Pizza, this probably will not surprise you. Free DC was already part of our space before we signed anything. We host gatherings, attend events and display their work throughout the restaurant. A local artist even donated the framed Free DC piece that now hangs on our wall. The pledge did not start this relationship. It simply put in writing what we already believe.

More than 700,000 people call DC home. We pay federal taxes, run businesses, raise families, serve our communities and vote for our own local leaders. Still, Congress can interfere with the laws passed by our elected mayor and Council. That is not democracy, and DC residents deserve better.

Free DC is fighting to protect Home Rule and move our city toward statehood. But its work is also about the people who make DC what it is.

The pledge stands with Black and Brown residents, immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, working families and neighbors without housing. It supports reproductive freedom, unions, public schools, public transportation and affordable housing. It asks local businesses to protect their communities and be clear about where they stand.

We are.

Protest Pizza was built to be more than a place to grab a slice. We wanted to create an LGBTQ+ owned neighborhood restaurant where people feel welcome, where community groups can gather and where our values do not disappear the moment they become inconvenient.

“Pride in Every Slice” cannot just be something we print on a pizza box.

Signing also comes with real commitments. We will review Know Your Rights information with our team. We will not knowingly cooperate with the Trump administration beyond what the law requires. If ICE or another law-enforcement agency attempts to enter a private area of our restaurant without a signed judicial warrant, we will not give them permission.

That is not about creating a confrontation. It is about knowing our rights, protecting our people and having a plan before a difficult moment arrives.

Some people believe businesses should stay out of politics. We do not have that luxury. Decisions about wages, food access, housing, immigration, transportation and DC’s right to govern itself affect our team, our customers and our neighborhood every day.

Besides, we did not name the place Protest Pizza because we planned to sit quietly when our community came under attack.

We signed because DC deserves democracy. We signed because our neighbors deserve dignity and protection. We signed because a local business should be part of its community, not just profit from it.

We are proud to stand with Free DC.

Learn about the pledge and find other participating businesses at FreeDCProject.org.