The Resistance Unfurls ‘Impeach Trump’ Banner At Washington Nationals Opening Day

A movement known as the Resistance has spawned in the wake of Trump’s presidency, and has been actively organized protesting Trump and everything he stands for since the day he garnered more electoral college votes than his political opponent Hillary Clinton. The movement does not have one home base, but it is prevalent all across America in various forms. Yesterday, CBS Sports reported that the resistance movement appeared at Opening Day for the Washington Nationals, and an “Impeach Trump” banner was unfurled in the bleachers.

This event came after Donald Trump was invited to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Washington Nationals game on Opening Day. Donald Trump declined the offer citing scheduling conflicts. However, Trump was still present in some form at Washington Nationals Opening Day when a group of protesters unfurled an “Impeach Trump” banner from the bleachers.

BREAKING: "Impeach Trump" banner unfurled by The Resistance during Washington Nationals opening game. pic.twitter.com/T9ZWV2012V

— Rogue CPI (@RogueCPI) April 3, 2017

The event occurred at Washington Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., which is a highly Democratic area. The New York Times reports that Hillary Clinton won 90.9 percent of the vote on Election Day in Washington, D.C.

Since Election Day, the Resistance movement, among others, have been working hard to impeach Donald Trump. Conflicts of interests, violations of ethics clauses, and the recent Russia scandal clouding the White House are among the most common reasons cited for the “Impeach Trump” branch of the Resistance.

The hashtag #TheResistance has become a common one on Twitter as part of the movement, as has the hashtag #resist since well before Election Day. One branch of the movement is a group that has started an Impeach Trump Now petition. The petition has garnered over 900,000 signatures at the time of press, and the list grows daily.

The petition is calling for Congress to pass a resolution with the House Committee on the Judiciary to investigate if there are enough grounds to impeach Trump.

Public polling has now become a part of the “Impeach Trump” movement as well, as more evidence appears to emerge daily regarding the allegations that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to interfere with 2016 presidential election. The Hill reports that a new Public Policy Poll out last week showed that a majority of Americans answering the poll believe Trump should resign if concrete evidence regarding Trump’s ties to Russia comes to the forefront.

In that poll, 53 percent of respondents said Trump should respond. The poll also found that 44 percent of Americans in the survey believe the allegations that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to win the election. The Hill also reports that the latest McClatchy poll finds that the president’s disapproval rating is at 51 percent, calling it “historically high disapproval.”

A recent report from Heat Street suggests that the Resistance movement is losing steam. However, a cursory glance at the organized methods of the movement shows this not to be the case. In addition to the “Impeach Trump” banner at the Washington Nationals game, this weekend the word “Resist” was spray painted on a Trump-owned Virginia Golf course, in a sign of opposition to the president.

Many other branches of the Resistance are cropping up all across America. ABC News reports that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes recently encountered the Resistance when he returned to his California district on Friday. Devin Nunes was back in California to speak at the Ag Lenders Society annual meeting in Fresno, California. Hundreds of protesters lined the streets waiting for him.

Republican Devin Nunes is facing harsh criticism from the public for attending the White House in a meeting with Donald Trump regarding intelligence reports related to the Trump-Russia investigation being managed by the very committee of which Devin Nunes is chair. The move was seen as a stall tactic by Devin Nunes and an attempt to divert attention from the investigation or stop it all together.

During that same week, Devin Nunes canceled an open hearing with the committee at which Attorney General Sally Yates was set to testify. Sally Yates is said to have material information or testimony regarding the firing of disgraced National Security adviser Michael Flynn, who was fired for lying about his communications with Russia.

When facing protestors, a reporter asked Devin Nunes when the House Intelligence Committee begin hearings again.

Nunes responded, “We haven’t stopped. We haven’t stopped, that’s what I’m saying. This is not…that is not a true statement. We have had investigators working every single day on this issue.”

But Devin Nunes’ own constituents wondered during the protest Friday what he was hiding regarding the Trump-Russia investigation. Signs from his own constituents also asked Devin Nunes to step down from his position, and one protester called him a coward according to ABC News.

Protesting Congress members such as Devin Nunes is just one part of The Resistance movement. A sister movement to the Resistance has also cropped up since mid-December and also remains very active. It is called the Indivisible movement, reports the Los Angeles Times. That movement began as an idea and a Google document titled “Indivisible: A Practical Guide for Resisting the Trump Agenda.”

The document includes four chapters, that covers areas from grassroots efforts to how to get involved in local advocacy methods.

The Google document was written by Sarah Dohl and some of her Capitol Hill colleagues, and it draws out how anyone that resists Trump can put their motivation into action. It is a 26-page document that spells out how Americans can have their voices heard.

Sarah Dohl says that the guide and any actions that result from it are intended to keep Congress accountable for both Republicans and Democrats. Included in the guide are detailed instructions on how to contact a Congress member, in a chapter called, “How your member of Congress thinks and how to use that to save democracy.” Sarh Dohl also said the following.

“Every member of Congress cares about how their constituents view them and the narrative being formed in their districts. And we’re not just focused on Republicans. This is about Democrats standing up and having a spine and pushing back against Trump and Republicans.”

The Resistance, as one member of the Indivisible team Ezra Levin said, “is not going away.” Here’s more from the Devin Nunes protest last week, including a clip of protesters chanting, “Hey hey, ho ho, Devin Nunes has to go” amidst signs of “Nunes Out” and “Nunes must resign.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkyf-uNaAqg&ab_channel=NewsChannel

Indivisible organizers are not the only ones working hard to resist the Trump administration. An online calendar for the Resistance has cropped up at TheResistance.org that identifies events all over America, every day of every month, that work on Resistance-related efforts. That mission statement starts with the words, “Organize. Resist. Repeat.”

The website for the calendar says they are a “central listing of upcoming progressive events.” It is run by a team of volunteers and they do accept donations but do not accept donations over $27. Anyone can submit an event or link to the calendar. Their aim is to “provide the most active and comprehensive listing of protests, marches, meetings, rallies, calls to action, and direct actions happening everywhere.”

The “Impeach Trump” banner was just one effort of the Resistance this week. There are hundreds of events listed on the calendar including Equal Pay Day rallies all across America today, and events throughout the month of April on topics that include “Nasty Women” events, Planned Parenthood events, and “Feminist Fridays” among many others, all across the nation.

[Featured Image by Jeff Chiu/AP Images]