Demonstrators near the White House in what is now called Black Lives Matter Plaza unfurled a huge banner Tuesday evening reading “Remove Trump” as polls began to close across the nation on Election Day.
Crowds gathered throughout the afternoon in the Washington, DC, plaza, which was renamed in June in the aftermath of violent protests, for what was billed as the first night of a week of protests, aimed at creating public pressure on President Donald Trump to leave office if the election result is still undetermined.
Democrats and the media have suggested that Trump would not leave office if he lost the election, though Trump has repeatedly said he would do so, prodded the election was free and fair.
Bloomberg News tweeted a video showing the banner with people shouting “Remove Trump.”
The radical, left-wing ShutDown D.C. group has permits for the protests from the National Park Service.
A notice on the Washingtonian website described the event:
Starting at 4 PM, ShutDown DC is leading a coalition of activist groups in a demonstration to “ensure free and fair elections,” according to a permit filed with the National Park Service. The event will begin at Black Lives Matter Plaza and last for eight hours, with a jumbotron displaying election results, three go-go band performances, and various speeches and performances. It will kick off a week of protests planned by ShutDown.
People’s Watch Party: Around 20 local progressive political groups, including 51 for 51 (a DC statehood organization) and Bend the Arc, will host the People’s Watch Party starting at 9 PM at Black Lives Matter Plaza to “celebrate democracy and ensure that every vote is counted.” The event is separate from ShutDown DC’s event, but it will also feature a jumbotron, as well as food trucks, music, and speakers.
Last month, Breitbart News revealed that ShutDown DC had circulated a guide to creating nationwide unrest after the election. Called “Stopping the Coup,” the plan asserts that President Trump will attempt to stay in power illegitimately, and that protests must therefore shut down the country if possible until he is removed from office.
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