Hundreds protest Sessions firing in SLO

November 9, 2018

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered and marched in downtown San Luis Obispo Thursday evening as part of nationwide protests against President Donald Trump’s decision to fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions, as it relates to alleged efforts to squash the ongoing probe into Trump’s alleged collusion with Russia. [Cal Coast Times]

Following Tuesday’s mid-term elections, which resulted in the Democrats taking back the House of Representatives and the Republicans keeping control of the Senate, Trump fired Sessions, who had recused himself on the matter of the president’s alleged collusion with Russia. Trump replaced Sessions with Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, who has been critical of the investigation into the alleged collusion.

Liberal activist organization MoveOn then called for the “Mueller protection rapid response,” spurring protests across the United States against Trump and in defense of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s ongoing investigation. Local activist organizations, such as the Women’s March SLO and the SLO County Progressives, helped organize demonstrations.

Protesters gathered in San Luis Obispo outside the courthouse, where speakers including recently reelected Congressman Salud Carbajal and SLO Mayor Heidi Harmon addressed a crowd.

“Attorney General Jeff Sessions has not been the best attorney general,” Carbajal said. “But at least he had the decency of recusing himself.”

Carbajal said the crowd was gathered to send the message to Trump that no one is above the law. Harmon, who won reelection resoundingly on Tuesday, echoed the message.

“Equality and accountability under the law is essential to prevent the terrible threat of tyranny,” Harmon said. “It’s what this country was built on.”

Women’s March SLO is now calling for activists to demand Congress protect the special counsel’s office; demand the creation of a modern-day Senate Watergate Committee to investigate the Russia scandal and Trump’s alleged abuse of power and obstruction of justice; and demand bipartisan hearings in the House Judiciary Committee on obstruction of justice and abuse of power.