The National Guard’s deployment into Washington, D.C., has been highly controversial, to say the least. But one person’s method of dealing with it is drawing particular attention online.
Featured VideoSo far, nine videos have been posted to TikTok in which @freedc20009 follows various members of the National Guard around the city while blasting “The Imperial March” from Star Wars. If you’re even remotely familiar with the films, you’d recognize the music even if the name itself doesn’t immediately ring a bell. It’s Darth Vader’s theme song, a musical cue that evil has arrived and everyone around must fall in line or risk punishment.
@freedc20009 #freedc ♬ original sound – freedc20009
Mostly, the troops @freedc20009 follows just ignore the anonymous TikToker, but there are a couple of times in the videos that they stop and address him. The music generally drowns out their comments, but the most recent video (above) is an exception.
Advertisement“Hey man, if you’re going to keep following us, we can contact Metro PD and they can come and handle you, if that’s what you want to do,” some tough guy whose hat sports the name “Beck” threatens him. “Is that what you want to do? Okay.”
It’s unclear whether Beck and his roving gang ever contacted the police, but the video continues on uninterrupted for another minute and 15 seconds as @freedc20009 continues following the group.
Depending on the exact circumstances, it’s unlikely the TikToker is breaking any laws by following some goons around playing music for a few minutes here and there, but that also suggests rights still matter in the U.S., which feels pretty debatable at the moment.
@freedc20009 #freedc ♬ original sound – freedc20009Advertisement
Online reactions to the ‘Imperial March’ National Guard TikToks
The account first started posting these videos on August 29, 2025. The second one has racked up over 3.9 million views in that time frame. Recently, they’ve begun to go viral on other platforms, including X and reddit. And although acolytes of Donald Trump may have different opinions about it, people who are against the invasion of the National Guard into a city to support the president’s whims and made-up claims about crime are glad to see someone pushing back, even in a way that merely causes vague annoyance.
“I literally can’t stop watching all of these posts,” one TikTok comment reads. “The tears are streaming down my face, cannot stop laughing.”
“They can quit if they don’t like it,” another suggested.
Advertisement AdvertisementOn Thursday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said that the National Guard’s deployment to the city has not been responsible for any lowered crime rates. Trump has ordered troops be sent into Memphis, Tennessee, next.
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