‘March for Truth’ rallies draw Trump protesters
WASHINGTON — More than a thousand people gathered near the Washington Monument on Saturday to rally at the March for Truth, calling for an independent investigation into alleged collusion between Russia and President Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Organizers also used the occasion to celebrate the “resistance” movement against the Trump administration, and implored the crowd to stay involved for the long haul.
“We gotta keep up the fight, that’s all there is to it,” said Jon Lovett, a former President Barack Obama speechwriter and popular podcast host, who spoke at the D.C. rally.
Thousands more protested in more than 100 cities across the country, including San Francisco, New York, Pittsburgh and Chicago.
The chants at the D.C. march were clever and cumbersome, taking wonky and specific aim at what the protesters believe have been White House attempts to cover up its connections with the Russian government. “The Rosenstein memo was phony, we want testimony from Comey!” the protestors chanted, criticizing Trump’s decision to fire the director of the FBI after receiving a recommendation from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
“That firing was abrupt, what are you covering up?” another chant went.
Earlier in the day, a much smaller counter protest in support of Trump unfolded in front of the White House, where dozens gathered to applaud the president’s controversial decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.
But it was the March for Truth that drew the biggest crowds of the day. In addition to Lovett, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and activist Linda Sarsour were also among the speakers. The participants carried signs that called for Trump’s impeachment and depicted Trump as a puppet being controlled by Russian President Vladimir Putin.