While many of the non-District locals probably think frustrated thoughts of protesters, particularly IMF/World Bank protesters such as those who’ll be in town this weekend, I tend to be rather fond of those who believe that peaceful protests will change the world.

You can always find protesters in the park across from the Chinese embassy on Connecticut Avenue. When we first moved down, they were Falun Gong protesters. This summer, during the Olympics, the focus was on the human rights issues in Tibet and treatment of North Korean detainees.

One protester, a North Korean woman recently granted asylum, took her mission so seriously that she staged a hunger strike that eventually ended with her hospitalization.

These photos were taken during the Olympics (on day 12 of the hunger strike according to the signs in the shots), so I can’t tell you if the focus remains the same or if they’ve shifted to other human rights objections with the Chinese government. There is always someone in the park, so all I can say is that a protest will be going on one way or the other.

Sarah, Hillary, MsP, and Rudi are other good bets for those sharing their unique perspectives of D.C.