Updated 8 p.m.
Hundreds of Philadelphians marched in Center City Thursday night in a rally that was one of about 900 planned “Protect Mueller” protests around the country.
“Only Gritty is above the law,” read one sign spotted in the crowd as it passed City Hall.
People gathered around 5 p.m. at Thomas Paine Plaza next to Philly’s Municipal Services Building, then marched toward Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell before returning to Paine Plaza.
Along with gatherings everywhere from Anchorage, Alaska, to New York City to Abington, Pa., the rally was organized by MoveOn in conjunction with dozens of other activist groups to protect the independence of Trump-Russia investigation after former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions submitted his resignation.
Under the call to action “Nobody Is Above The Law,” the rallies are meant to underscore the importance of keeping active and independent the federal probe being conducted by special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating possible ties between Russia and President Trump’s campaign.
The investigation has been a thorn in Trump’s side since it began. When he installed supporter Matt Whitaker as acting Attorney General to replace Sessions this week, worries began to grow that the probe might be shut down, or otherwise handicapped.
“Whitaker has publicly outlined strategies to stifle the investigation and cannot be allowed to remain in charge of it,” Move On said in a statement on its website. “The Nobody Is Above the Law network demands that Whitaker immediately commit not to assume supervision of the investigation.”
In Philly, police on bicycles and in cars escorted the protests through the streets, where they caused minor traffic jams. There were no major disruptions and the march stayed peaceful throughout.
