A coalition of progressive groups has planned a protest outside of the White House this evening in response to the firing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a move that leaves special counsel Robert Mueller vulnerable to firing by the new acting AG, Matt Whitaker. Whitaker has been a vocal critic of Mueller’s investigation: In a CNN opinion piece last year, Whitaker wrote: “Mueller has come up to a red line in the Russia 2016 election-meddling investigation that he is dangerously close to crossing.”
The event, titled “Mueller Protection Rapid Response,” will take place at 5 PM outside the White House as well as in other cities. The team responsible is the Nobody Is Above The Law network, which comprises more than 30 advocacy groups from across the country, Jordan Uhl, a co-founder and organizer, tells Washingtonian. They originally came together to plan the March for Truth, a nationwide protest in June 2017 to demand clarity in the Trump administration’s relationship with Russia and potential meddling in the 2016 election. Participating organizations include MoveOn, Common Cause, Indivisible, Public Citizen, and Stand Up America. Uhl says he hopes for a good turnout and expects thousands more to participate online via livestream.
“Hundreds of cities across the country are peacefully protesting later today because the American people expect the President of the United States to play by the rules and lawbreakers to be held accountable,” Uhl says. “The American people deserve the truth. And they deserve accountability.”
Brittany Shepherd covers the societal and cultural scene in political Washington. Before joining Washingtonian as a staff writer in 2018, Brittany was a White House Correspondent for Independent Journal Review. While she has lived in DC for a number of years now, she still yearns for the fresh Long Island bagels of home. Find her on Twitter, often prattling on about Frasier.
