White House Protest Continues To Grow After Seven Days, Demonstrators Vow To Occupy ‘Kremlin Annex’
Protests just outside the White House continue to grow nearly one week after Donald Trump returned from a controversial summit with Vladimir Putin, and demonstrators pledge to continue occupying a park outside what they now call a “Kremlin annex.”
As Newsweek noted, the protests have been organized by former Hillary Clinton campaign adviser Adam Parkhomenko and gained a huge following. Based out of a park adjacent to the White House, the demonstration has been dubbed “Occupy Lafayette Park” and takes aim at Trump for his close relationship to Vladimir Putin and refusal to press the Russian president on the country’s interference in the 2016 presidential election.
“We stood outside the Kremlin Annex tonight with a blue wave falling on us and it felt great. Tomorrow marks one week of protesting,” Parkhomenko tweeted on Saturday, the sixth day of protests.
The movement has gained considerable steam on social media, with Parkhomenko sharing plans on Twitter and raising money to support the protests. It also has Facebook page to give updates, including posts this weekend that said protests would still go on even though thunderstorms were in the forecast.
“TONIGHT! Rain or shine #OccupyLafayettePark continues! Show #TraitorTrump that we’re not going anywhere and we’re only getting LOUDER! The revolution is here and we’ve brought the soundtrack!”
These efforts have helped the protests gain a large following, with people pledging to come from across the country to take part in the protest.
The Facebook page has shared videos of protesters chanting and playing music toward the White House during a downpour. Music has played an important role in the protests, with a mariachi band performing earlier in the week and a pair of opera singers on Saturday.
Exciting news! Band members have started arriving outside Donald Trump’s window! pic.twitter.com/GwBb7mNoP7
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) July 19, 2018
The protests have captured the anger many Trump opponents feel about his friendly relationship with Vladimir Putin and their meeting last week, which came just two days after an indictment against 12 Russian military officers for hacking the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s campaign chief. In a press conference after their meeting, Trump appeared to side with Putin, who denied playing any part in the election interference.
As The Hill noted, the protests have attracted a number of prominent Trump critics, including Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro, actress and activist Alyssa Milano, and Stormy Daniels’s attorney, Michael Avenatti.
The Occupy Lafayette Park protests are expected to continue in the coming days, with supporters continuing to make donations to keep the demonstrations going. Newsweek noted that the effort has pulled in more than $50,000 so far.
