As part of a group of over 900 nationwide rallies organized by MoveOn.org, anti-Trump protesters took to the streets on Thursday evening across Alabama cities, including Auburn, Birmingham, Dothan, Fairhope, Florence, Huntsville, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa.
MoveOn’s national push was sparked by the forced resignation of then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, however, unlike what some outlets are reporting, the protests were held in opposition to President Donald Trump and not in support of Sessions.
CBS 42 reported on the protests in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, with one vocal woman in the Magic City telling the outlet, “Trump needs to be behind bars.”
She claimed that the demonstrations were necessary for the protesters to “keep [their] freedom.”
The rallies were called “Mueller Protection Rapid Response,” referring to special counsel Robert Mueller, even though there has been no indication that Mueller’s Russia investigation is being impeded or ended prematurely. The same woman who called for Trump’s jailing held a sign calling Trump “guilty,” even though, again, the investigation is still ongoing and no findings have been released to back her claim.
Another Birmingham protester, seemingly on the verge of tears, said, “We need to let Bob Mueller finish his work unimpeded, without any obstruction by anybody.”
A protest sign in Alabama’s largest city read, “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.”
In Tuscaloosa, protesters en masse chanted, “Justice for America.”
One man in Tuscaloosa advised, referring to the Trump administration, “What they’re doing is wrong and we won’t stand for it. No American will. That’s why we’re here in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, letting everyone know.”
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn