Some Washington, D.C. residents are adopting a new symbol of resistance against President Donald Trump’s administration: the so-called “sandwich guy.”
This month, Trump mobilized the National Guard in Washington, D.C., brought in federal agents and placed the local police force under federal control in an attempt to stop a “crime emergency” he described as “out of control.” This comes despite available data indicating violent crime in D.C. has been decreasing since 2023, and even hit a 30-year low last year.
Many residents have protested against the heightened presence of federal agents and troops in the nation’s capital, but one individual has stood out amongst them: a man who was arrested earlier this month after police say he threw a sandwich at a group of federal law enforcement officials in Washington, D.C.
Video of the incident quickly went viral, bringing nationwide attention to the sandwich thrower, who police say is 37-year-old D.C. resident Sean Charles Dunn. Now, new posters have appeared throughout the nation’s capital honoring the sandwich thrower as an apparent symbol of resistance.
Banksy-style posters honor D.C.’s ‘sandwich guy’
The posters are recreations of the Flower Thrower, a 2003 mural by the iconic British street artist and political activist Banksy. The original image depicts a masked protester throwing a bouquet of flowers, and is widely seen as an image of resistance and hope. But in the recent D.C. renditions, the man is instead throwing a sub-style sandwich.
These posters have been found primarily in Northwest D.C. near the downtown area. Social media images and local media reports shared over the weekend identified posters in the Dupont Circle and Logan Circle neighborhoods, as well as on K St., an area home to many lobbyists and law firms.
While some posters remain plastered up, others have been ripped down.
Two of these posters can be seen near a liquor store in the Logan Circle neighborhood next to a bus stop. They’re plastered less than a mile away from the intersection where Dunn is accused of throwing the sandwich.
On Sunday, photographers also captured three of the posters plastered near the busy Dupont Metro Station, located just under two miles from the White House. The area is home to several embassies and think tanks.
But when The Independent visited the station on Wednesday morning, the posters had been torn down. White residue from where they were once plastered is still visible.
One social media post also indicated there was a poster hanging in downtown D.C., at the intersection of M St. and New Hampshire Ave., as recently as two days ago. There were no signs of the poster as of Wednesday morning.
Residents who staged a protest against Trump’s decision to mobilize the National Guard in Washington, D.C., over the weekend also held signs and props referencing the sandwich thrower.
Photographers captured one protester waving around a loaf of bread. Others held signs that read, “One small sub for man…One giant gesture for democracy” and “Don’t f*** with D.C. unless you want this footlong,” according to the local outlet The Washingtonian.
Alleged sandwich thrower arrested by ‘20 agents,’ attorney says
Dunn, the alleged sandwich thrower, is now facing a felony assault charge over the August 10 incident.
Police claim Dunn approached a group of officers on 14th Street, an area known for its busy nightlife scene. Dunn is accused of then pointing his finger at a Customs and Border Patrol agent and shouting, “F*** you! You f***ing fascists! Why are you here? I don’t want you in my city!”
Police say Dunn then threw a “sub-style sandwich” at the group, hitting one of the officers in the chest.
Dunn was initially apprehended after fleeing the scene. While he was being processed, police say Dunn told an officer, “I did it, I threw a sandwich.”
Dunn’s attorney, Sabrina Shroff, said in court he was released the next day with no charges, according to CNN. However, Shroff then learned a warrant was out for Dunn’s arrest on August 13.
Shroff said she called multiple government officials, but could not find a way for Dunn to surrender himself. That night, 20 agents showed up at Dunn’s front door and arrested him, Shroff said.
Dunn has since been released on personal recognizance and will appear in court again in September. Shroff declined to comment when contacted by The Independent.
Dunn has been fired from his job at the Justice Department in the wake of his arrest, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced last week.
“If you touch any law enforcement officer, we will come after you,” she wrote. “I just learned that this defendant worked at the Department of Justice — NO LONGER. Not only is he FIRED, he has been charged with a felony.”
U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro also shared a video on X touting Dunn’s arrest.
“Assault a law enforcement officer, and you’ll be prosecuted,” Pirro said. “This guy thought it was funny—well, he doesn’t think it’s funny today, because we charged him with a felony.”
