The Force is with him: D.C. settles with man who protested National Guard using Darth Vader's theme song

Source: NBC News

June 26, 2026, 2:10 PM EDT


The District of Columbia has settled a lawsuit by a protester who said he was detained and handcuffed for following National Guard troops around the city while playing Darth Vader’s theme song from “Star Wars.”. The terms of the agreement were not immediately disclosed, but the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents demonstrator Sam O’Hara in the case, said in a press release that he was receiving compensation. The group did not immediately respond to a request for more details.

The D.C. mayor’s office referred questions to the local police and the D.C. attorney general’s office. Representatives for the Metropolitan Police Department and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The incident happened in Sept. 2025, when O’Hara, a D.C. resident, was protesting against President Donald Trump’s decision to send National Guard troops to the city, and did so with music.

“In the Star Wars franchise, The Imperial March is the music that plays when Darth Vader or other dark forces enter a scene or succeed in their dastardly plans. It is also the soundtrack of Sam O’Hara’s protest against the National Guard deployment in D.C.,” his lawsuit said.

“Mr. O’Hara was deeply concerned about the normalization of troops patrolling D.C. neighborhoods. And so, he began protesting the Guard members’ presence by walking several feet behind them when he saw them in the community. Using his phone and sometimes a small speaker, he played The Imperial March as he walked, keeping the music at a volume that was audible but not blaring,” his suit said.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/dc-settles-man-played-darth-vaders-theme-song-national-guard-rcna351945