Protest organizers say hundreds of demonstrations will be held across the U.S. and in Canada on Thursday over fears President Donald Trump will interfere with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. This follows the U.S. leader seemingly forcing Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign on November 7.
The protests, which have been organized by activist group MoveOn under the banner of "Nobody Is Above the Law," are set to take place in cities across the country and Canada, starting at 5 p.m. local time.
Democratic lawmakers have sounded the alarm that the Trump administration's decision to replace Sessions with his chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, as acting attorney general, could spell trouble for Mueller's ongoing probe.
Day 115, week 17! Welcome to the #KremlinAnnex protest! pic.twitter.com/pRaZOHhMCi
— Kremlin Annex (@KremlinAnnex) November 8, 2018
As acting attorney general, Whitaker, who has been critical of the investigation in the past, is expected to assume oversight of the probe.
Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have demanded that Whitaker recuse himself of the role. They assert that Whitaker's previous comments, including advocating defunding and imposing limitations on the Mueller investigation, should disqualify him from providing oversight of the probe.
Protest organizers agree. MoveOn is demanding that Whitaker "immediately commit not to assume supervision of the [Mueller] investigation" in a statement on MoveOn's site calling on demonstrators to join Thursday's protests.
The demonstration organizers have accused Trump of "putting himself above the law" by potentially placing the Mueller investigation at risk.
Relate: "Protect Mueller" Protest Held Outside White House After Sessions's Departure
"Donald Trump has installed a crony to oversee the special counsel's Trump-Russia investigation," protest organizers said in their statement, accusing the U.S. leader of having "crossed a red line, violating the independence of the investigation pursuing criminal charges in the Trump-Russia scandal and cover-up,"
"Trump putting himself above the law is a threat to our democracy, and we've got to get Congress to stop him," the statement said. "We're mobilizing immediately to demand accountability, because Trump is not above the law."
Organizers have pledged to hold at least one rally in each state, with others being planned in Canadian cities including Toronto, Calgary and Montreal.
Protesters had already gathered outside the White House on Wednesday evening, just hours after Trump announced the news of Sessions' departure. Demonstrators held up neon letters that spelled out "Protect Mueller."
That rally appeared to be organized as part of the "Kremlin Annex," an ongoing 17-week-long protest that began on July 16, the day Trump returned from his controversial Helsinki summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Mueller has indicted a number of Russian nationals and firms over meddling in the 2016 election. The special counsel is now investigating whether anyone on Trump's campaign team collaborated with them.
The U.S. leader has repeatedly branded Mueller's probe a "witch hunt" and denied any accusations of potential collusion.
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