- Title: 'Hands off Mueller' - New York protesters in Times Square
- Date: 8th November 2018
- Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 8, 2018) (REUTERS) PAN DOWN TO CROWD AT PROTEST IN TIMES SQUARE CALLING FOR U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, NOT TO HINDER INVESTIGATION INTO RUSSIAN MEDDLING DURING THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, WITH CROWD CHANTING "NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW" / CROWDS HOLDING SIGNS THAT READ, "HANDS OFF MUELLER," REFERRING TO ROBERT MUELLER, THE SPECIAL COUNSEL WHO IS LEADING THE INVESTIGATION PAN OF HEADS AT PROTEST, CHANTING, "NO EXCUSE, MUST RECUSE," REFERRING TO U.S. ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL, MATTHEW WHITAKER, WHO WAS APPOINTED BY U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, TO REPLACE JEFF SESSIONS PAN OUT OF U.S. FLAG AT HALF STAFF IN TIMES SQUARE SIGN AT PROTEST THAT READS, "WRITERS AGAINST TRUMP" AMID CHANTS OF "THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE" CLOSE OF PROTESTERS CHANTING, "NO EXCUSE / MUST RECUSE" SIGN THAT READS, "OUR AMERICA, NOT TRUMP'S AMERICA" AMID CHANTS OF, "THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE: (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW YORK PROTESTER AND RETIRED JUDGE, GERALD HARRIS, SAYING: "I came out because I have a regard for the law and I am someone who's devoted to the Constitution, and I believe what is happening to today is outrageous. And that someone is taking over a probe that he has already denigrated and has gone over the line. This is a man who should have recused himself. It's simply a sham that he's gonna become the attorney general in charge of this probe." PAN OUT OF CROWD AT PROTEST, WITH SIGNS OF HANDS AMID CHANTS OF, "WHITAKER MUST RECUSE" SIGN AT PROTEST THAT READS "LET MUELLER FINISH UNIMPEDED" AND "PROTECT MUELLER, WHITAKER MUST RECUSE" SIGN BEING HELD AT PROTEST THAT READS, "THE RUSSIAN INFLUENCE IS OBVIOUS" AMID CHANTS OF "STOP THE LYING" (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW YORK PROTESTER AND STUDENT, BRIAN RACOW, SAYING: " I am here to protest the appointment of Matt Whitaker as the new A.G. (Attorney General). I think there can be no debate that he is a stooge, a crony of Trump, and the public can have no confidence in this investigation. There can be no integrity, no independence to this investigation with someone like that overseeing it." PAN OF CROWD AT PROTEST AMID CHANTS OF "HANDS OFF MUELLER" CLOSE OF WOMAN AT PROTEST AMID CHANTS OF "NO EXCUSE, MUST RECUSE" ZOOM INTO CROWD AMID CHANTS OF "NOT ABOVE THE LAW" (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW YORK PROTESTER AND NEW YORK FINANCE WORKER, CRISTINA DE LA RIVA, SAYING: "I don't think anyone here is defending (former Attorney General) Jeff Sessions. I think what we're defending is integrity of the justice department. I think we're defending integrity of institutions. I think the president has attacked our important institutions, the FBI, and I think that everyone should be held to account. Everyone is accountable, including the president." PROTESTERS CHANTING, "HEY, HEY, DONALD TRUMP HAS GOT TO GO, TO JAIL" ZOOM INTO PROTESTER HOLDING SIGN THAT READS, "DEMOCRACY NOW" PAN OF CROWD AT PROTEST
- Embargoed: 22nd November 2018 23:37
- Keywords: former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions Donald Trump firing resignation Russia investigation Matthew Whitaker
- Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA00195NCUH3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:More than 1,000 New Yorkers poured into Times Square on Thursday (November 8) to protest against any interference into the investigation into Russian meddling and the forced resignation the day before of U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Protesters held signs reading "Hands off Mueller" and chanted "Whitaker Must Recuse"
U.S. progressive groups will stage hundreds of protests nationwide on Thursday to demand that President Donald Trump do nothing to hinder an ongoing investigation into Russian meddling to help him win the 2016 U.S. election.
Sessions resigned on Wednesday (November 7), a day after elections in which Republicans lost control of the House but increased their majority in the U.S. Senate.
U.S. President Donald Trump named Sessions' chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, as acting attorney general, saying he would soon nominate a permanent replacement for review by the Senate.
That drew criticism from Democrats in Congress because Whitaker would now take over responsibility for overseeing Robert Mueller and his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and any collusion by Trump's campaign. Whitaker has been critical of the probe, saying it should be scaled back.
Mueller has indicted a number of Russian individuals and firms for meddling in the election to help Trump win and is investigating whether anyone on the Trump campaign collaborated with them. Trump denies collusion and calls the investigation a partisan witch hunt.
Trump, who denies any collusion, has long complained about the investigation, calling it a witch-hunt. He had frequently publicly castigated Sessions for recusing himself last year from the case.
Moscow denies interfering in the 2016 election. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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