#ProtectMueller protests broke out at reportedly over 900 locations across the United States last night.
Protests in Asheville, Waynesville and Sylva were a part of the collective action around the country.
“Who can’t handle the truth? Trump can’t handle the truth,” chanted over 60 protesters in the town of Sylva in Jackson County.
Protesters say that they signed up over a year ago with Nobody Is Above The Law, the Move On campaign and the Indivisible Project to be notified if President Trump ever crossed a line to “violate the independence” of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. They say appointing Matthew Whitaker as the acting Attorney General in place of newly resigned AG Jeff Sessions was the final toe over that line.
Frank Burrell, chairman of the Democratic Party for Jackson County explained that they signed up as a protest location over a year ago as well. Despite the fact that most of the protesters had just been campaigning and volunteering for the midterm election on Tuesday, Burrell says that they were proud to be a part of the nationwide action.
“We feel strongly about it and we wanted to join them. We have a good crowd here. Some as far away as Georgia,” says Burrell.
Deidre Howell traveled over 35 miles with her group from Dillard, Georgia to Sylva to protest because it was the closest location. Howell just lost her race for county commissioner in Rabun County. She says she was one of the only Democrats running and that she will continue to work for her political beliefs.
“Well I stood up as a candidate in our community and I’m standing up as a citizen here,” says Howell. “It’s just the thing to do. We can’t let our democracy suffer because of some bad decisions and some crookedness.”
In Haywood County, about 75 protesters gathered at the historic Haywood Courthouse in downtown Waynesville. Rob Burress is a veteran who is originally from Haywood. He says that the actions by the current government are not what he served for.
“I think the president thinks he’s above the law, and he needs to go through the same process that everyone else does,” says Burress. “If there is nothing there then what’s wrong with getting this report out into the light of day so that we can all see that nothing is there.”
Marietta Edwards says her family has lived in Haywood County “forever and ever.” Edwards says she came out to protest because she’s concerned for her grandkids.
“I never thought I would live to see the day that our country would be in the shape that it’s in right now,” says Edwards. “We’ve got to fight back.”
In Asheville, protestors rallied around the Vance Monument in Pack Square. They held signs and cheered at cars who honked horns in support of the rally as they drove past in the Thursday afternoon rush hour.
