Washington Post: Hundreds protest on Capitol grounds after Senate acquits Trump in impeachment vote

Washington Post: Hundreds protest on Capitol grounds after Senate acquits Trump in impeachment vote

“While this is the conclusion of one particular process, this is also a moment where President Trump was, for one of the few times in his life, held accountable for his actions,” said Jesse Littlewood, vice president of campaigns at Common Cause and an organizer of the evening demonstration. Littlewood said having hundreds of people standing outside Congress moments after the impeachment vote will send a symbolic message to legislators about the disappointment many Americans feel.“This is our opportunity to say we’re not going to let Trump run roughshod over our democratic process, that even if the GOP gives [him] a pass, we’re not going to,” he said.

Moments after the Senate voted Wednesday to acquit President Trump, hundreds of people from across the country stormed onto the Capitol grounds with hand-drawn signs and bright orange letters lit up in lights that spelled out one word: Coverup.

They were angry and exhausted. As the sun set on the Capitol dome, some wiped away tears.

They carried posters declaring, “Trump is guilty” and “GOP coverup.”

Some offered gratitude to the lone Republican — Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah — who defied his party to vote to convict Trump on a charge of abuse of power alongside Senate Democrats, waving signs that said, “Thank you, Senator Romney.”

The protest, one of hundreds across the country on Wednesday dubbed “Reject the Coverup,” was meant to showcase Americans’ disapproval of the Senate’s decision to acquit the president without calling for witnesses to testify at his trial. …

Trump was impeached by the House after an investigation into allegations that he withheld military aid and a White House meeting to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political rivals, including former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter.

“While this is the conclusion of one particular process, this is also a moment where President Trump was, for one of the few times in his life, held accountable for his actions,” said Jesse Littlewood, vice president of campaigns at Common Cause and an organizer of the evening demonstration. …

Littlewood said having hundreds of people standing outside Congress moments after the impeachment vote will send a symbolic message to legislators about the disappointment many Americans feel.

“This is our opportunity to say we’re not going to let Trump run roughshod over our democratic process, that even if the GOP gives [him] a pass, we’re not going to,” he said.