Breaking News... Check back for possible updates and added details...
Progressive organizations have announced coordinated protests to take place in cities and communities nationwide on Thursday, November 8th at 5 PM (local time) in the wake of President Donald Trump's firing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Right after Trump forced Sessions to resign, the White House announced that Matthew Whitaker—a DOJ official who has shown open hostility to the probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller—would now serve as acting AG and be put in charge of the ongoing investigation.
"Trump just put someone who has openly trashed Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation in charge of it," Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, one of the advocacy groups behind the rapid-response demonstrations, explained in an emergency email Wednesday evening. "Trump thought that by waiting until after the polls closed on Election Day, our voices would be silent. He was wrong."
Anna Galland, executive director for MoveOn.org, said: "This is a red line crossed, an attack on rule of law."
According to organizers:
Other groups— including March for Truth and Indivisible—tweeted out additional information:
#TrumpIsNotAboveTheLaw. Trump has crossed a red line - and we’re mobilizing. In January, our newly elected MoCs should launch investigations & hearings on day one. And tomorrow at 5 PM (local time), we march in the streets. Find an event near you: https://t.co/vcNlC5T8oe
— Indivisible Guide (@IndivisibleTeam) November 7, 2018
BREAKING: Grassroots activists around the country are gathering for rapid-response protests THURSDAY, default 5pm local time (but check event posts for local details), given news of #Sessions's firing. This is a red line crossed, an attack on rule of law. https://t.co/Lh9J0PfEiC
— Anna Galland (@annagalland) November 7, 2018
In firing Jeff Sessions, Donald Trump has crossed a red line and started a constitutional crisis. We are activating our rapid-response network, launching mass protests nationwide TOMORROW (11/8) at 5pm local time.
Sign up now to find a protest near you: https://t.co/RAfE4MYSz4 pic.twitter.com/NEY5spFyRB
— Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) November 7, 2018
DC friends- plan to show up at the White House at 5pm tomorrow (Thursday). We're in no way sad to see Sessions go, but Trump is threatening the integrity of the Mueller investigation and we cannot ignore it. https://t.co/yVXudVZYt5
— Rachel Curley (@rachEcurley) November 7, 2018
BREAKING: Nationwide peaceful protests at 5pm local time tomorrow, Thursday, November 8th. Sign up & stay tuned for more at https://t.co/cppexKCSxs #WhitakerMustRecuse #ProtectMueller #ProtectRosenstein pic.twitter.com/nJAO7E5Fqu
— #MarchForTruth (@MarchForTruth17) November 7, 2018
"Two years ago we called on people to RESIST, and we saw people from all walks of life resisting policies and decisions that hurt ordinary people," Greenpeace USA executive director Annie Leonard said in a statement. "Now, we must build on that resistance and bring double the energy and double the hope to rebuild a country based on shared values of justice and equality. That's why we're encouraging people to join the Trump Is Not Above the Law network to protest tomorrow at 5 PM across the country."
