MANCHESTER, NH — Carrying signs saying, “Nobody is Above the Law,” 100 protesters lined Elm Street next to Veterans Park Thursday evening, cheering and waving American flags at vehicles passing by. The group was part of a larger organized national protest calling for the protection of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
The Manchester group and others across New Hampshire, in Concord, Portsmouth, Nashua, Wilton, and Peterborough, were mobilized by progressive groups led by the activist group MoveOn. The “rapid response” protest was triggered by the Nov. 7 firing by President Trump of U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and promoted across social media with the hashtag #ProtectMueller.
Protestors are demanding Trump do nothing to hinder Mueller, who is leading the current investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. elections. Trump has named Mark Whittaker acting Attorney General.
Whitaker is an outspoken skeptic of the Russia investigation and is expected to take the reins from Rod Rosenstein, Deputy Attorney General, and oversee the inquiry by Mueller.
“Whitaker has publicly outlined strategies to stifle the investigation and cannot be allowed to remain in charge of it. The ‘Nobody Is Above the Law’ network demands that Whitaker immediately commit not to assume supervision of the investigation. Our hundreds of response events are being launched to demonstrate the public demand for action to correct this injustice,” according to Move On’s “rapid response” website.
Chris Pappas, Congressman-elect from NH District 1, called Whitaker “unfit for the job.”
“The ousting of Attorney General Sessions is deeply troubling, and the individual tapped to replace him is unfit for the job. The appointment of Matt Whitaker as Acting Attorney General put us on a dangerous path toward a constitutional crisis. His public comments criticizing the Mueller investigation are highly inappropriate and should require his recusal from involvement in the probe. It is critical that Special Counsel Mueller completes his work and puts all the facts on the table. In Congress, I will support measures to protect this investigation from any attempts to undermine it,” Pappas said.
