Protesters Rally at Jack Evans' House Halloween Night

Around 10 p.m. Halloween a group of about 35 protesters gathered outside Councilman Jack Evans Georgetown home, chanting, holding signs and at one point using blow-horns, according to neighbors.

The Anti- Capitalist Trick or Treating was an effort by DarTT (Defending Animals Right Today and Tomorrow) and Anarchist Alliance DC, which was supported by OccupyDC.*

Evans told Patch he heard the noise outside around 10 p.m. and initially "did not think anything of it" since there had been a steady stream of trick-or-treaters all night.

But when he heard them "chanting my name," said Evans, he decided to go outside to see what it was they wanted.

"I've learned over the years, the best way to deal with a protest is going out and engaging them," said Evans.  He said he's had three or four protests in the past.

Judy Bunnell, a Georgetown resident, told Patch that Evans had police support and that the councilman was speaking with protesters. From what she could tell their concerns centered around shelter for the homeless.

Police were on the scene, though Metropolitan Police Department Public Information Officer Paul Metcalf could only tell Patch that a call came in at 10:13 p.m. for an assist on the 3100 block of P Street, NW. Evans lives on that block.

Evans said he did not call the police, but they did come to his home when they saw the protestors. Police were out in force already for Halloween and were preventing traffic on local streets. 

"It's always nice to have police around," he said.

Homelessness was at the center of the Evans protest, according to one Occupy twitter account.

"Anarchist Alliance and Dart mic checked Jack Evans who closed Franklin Shelter. He promised a public meeting," tweeted @MaxwellEileen Wednesday night.

Both groups were associated in some form with the Occupy DC movement last year.

Evans said it was not entirely clear what the protest was about and that he did not recognize them.

Evans said from what he gathered, the closing of the Franklin School homeless shelter was the loudest of the concerns raised during his conversation with various protesters.

He said they wanted to him to re-open the Franklin Shelter, "which we’re not going to do," said Evans.

"It should never have been a shelter in the first place... In a humane system, no one should be living in the Franklin School," he added.

Patch contacted @MaxwellEileen via twitter about the protest and was told that Evans "spoke to the group and promised a public hearing on their grievances."

Evans confirmed that he promised to hear them out and that he also promised to ask Councilmen Jim Graham and Michael Brown to attend, since they actually have jurisdiction on homeless issues in the Council.

The Ward 2 Councilman's home was not the only stop for Occupy in Georgetown. @MaxwellEileen tweeted, "Occupy is in the house! Happy Halloween from Georgetown! pic.twitter.com/fpqGKdhI" and posted photos of the group at PNC bank and other points along M Street.

Editor's Note: This article originally reported that the protesters were OccupyDC but they were actually a different group, "Anti- Capitalist Trick or Treating."