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Rosemary Nelson from Kyle shows her sign before the protesters marched. Daily Record photos by Robin Blackburn

Around 100 gather, call for probe to be protected

Russian Investigation
Sunday, November 11, 2018

Scores of people gathered on the courthouse square Thursday evening to protest U.S. President Donald Trump’s appointment of Matthew Whitaker as acting U.S. attorney general. The appointment gives Whitaker oversight of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into allegations of collusion between Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russian officials.

“It is absurd that someone who’s being investigated can appoint someone to oversee that investigation,” said protester Deborah Chavez, who drove in from Buda.

“We think no American is above the law,” said Wimberley resident Mindy Webber.

Rosemary Nelson, who drove from Kyle to take part, said that she was protesting because of “the fear that we are sliding into authoritarianism” and her belief that the president has made questionable deals based solely on money.

Micki Cole Hansen leads the protesters in a chant on the courthouse square Thursday evening. At its peak, the protest against the president’s appointment of Matthew Whitaker drew nearly 100 people.

The protest was one of hundreds of gatherings across the country to express disapproval of Whitaker’s appointment and support for the Mueller investigation. Mary Ann Pope, who organized the San Marcos event, said that nationally the protests started at 5 but she scheduled the pop-up protest for 6 p.m. to allow people time to get home from work. A small crowd had gathered by 5:30 p.m. on the south side of the courthouse, and shortly before 6 the protesters marched to the corner of Hopkins and LBJ, by the statue of Jack C. Hays, where they chanted and drew attention of drivers and pedestrians alike.

“It’s amazing to know that I’m not the only one in this fight,” Pope told the crowd as they prepared to move to the Hays statue. “Let’s go make some noise in San Marcos.”

Some passersby heckled the protesters, and two men took the protest as an opportunity to pass out copies of the Buffalo Gap Round-Up News, a publication with the tagline, “Serving the Conservative (Once silent) Majority of America.” However, some pedestrians stopped to film or join in the protest and many drivers honked and waved in support. By 7 p.m., the protest had died down from its peak size of about 90, but about two dozen protesters were still on the square waving at drivers as they passed by.

Former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned earlier this week at Trump’s request. Trump then appointed Whitaker, who has criticized the Mueller probe in the past, as acting attorney general. An oped in The New York Times co-authored by lawyers Neal K. Katyal and George T. Conway III (husband of White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway) claimed that Whitaker’s appointment ignores the system of checks and balances laid out in the Constitution because he has not received Senate confirmation as acting attorney general. Another op-ed in the Times, written by University of Texas law professor Stephen I. Vladek, asserts that Whitaker’s appointment is legal as long as it is temporary.

San Marcos Record

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