Groups plan Electoral College protests Monday across U.S.

A coalition of groups said Sunday there will be “unprecedented, historic protests of the public Electoral College proceedings” in all 50 states on Monday, including the Oregon Capitol in Salem.

Here’s the rest of a news release from the coalition, whose Salem demonstrators will meet at 9 a.m. at the Oregon Capitol in Salem. The coalition of organizations including Democracy Spring, Americans Take Action, Electoral College Petition, and Progressive Change Campaign Committee:

The mostly obscure and usually somber event is likely to be much more exciting this year, with organizers and activists from the December 19 Coalition planning mass protests of the event.

“The Electors have both the Constitutional right and the moral responsibility to stop Trump,” said Electoral College Petition founder Daniel Brezenoff, leader of an effort that garnered 5 million signatures. “He lost the popular vote and he should lose on December 19.”

“All Presidential Electors have a Constitutional right to vote their conscience,” said Democracy Spring organizer Tania Maduro. “Electors were given the responsibility by our Founders to vote for whoever will be the best person for the job as President. Electoral College, only you can save us.”

The Electoral College is the Constitutional gathering of Electors who officially elect the President. Originally intended by the Constitutional Framers as a failsafe to stop an unqualified demagogue under foreign influence (sound familiar?) from becoming President, the typically pro forma event is taking on significance this year in light of a CIA report revealing Russian interference in the election.

“Russians hacking our democracy to elect Trump should tell you everything you need to know about him. If Putin picked our President, not We the People, then Trump must be rejected by the Electoral College,” said Ryan Clayton of Americans Take Action, “Trump is a clear and present danger to our country and the world. The men and women who died for our freedoms deserve better than this.”

The groups have issued an open call to allied organizations of all political stripes to join them in all 50 states for a day of planning and protest at statehouses across the country on Monday for the Electoral College proceedings, which are open to the public. As a last chance to stop Donald Trump from taking over the White House, activists and organizers have responded with enthusiasm.

“It’s now irresponsible NOT to support the Electoral College protests on Dec. 19 in every state capitol,” said Adam Green, founder of PCCC in an email to supporters, “The bigger the crowds and media attention, the more seriously politicians will feel the need to investigate — and the more we’ll debunk Trump’s claim of a ‘mandate’ after he lost the popular vote and was helped by Russia.”

“Fifty years of progress, maybe more, is about to be thrown out the window when Trump walks into the White House. 2016 was the first Presidential election without the equal protections of the Voting Rights Act since the Civil Rights Movement,” said Democracy Spring leader Kai Newkirk, “On December 19, the Electoral College should do the will of the people and reject Trump as unfit.”

More information on the December 19 Coalition and the day of protests can be found on www.December19.us.