.jpg) Kremlin Annex protest, November 7, 2018. | |
 | |
| Date | July 16, 2018 (2018-07-16) |
|---|---|
| Location | Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Coordinates | 38°53′58.3″N77°02′11.6″W / 38.899528°N 77.036556°W /38.899528; -77.036556 |
| Also known as | Occupy Lafayette Park |
| Type | Demonstration (protest) |
| Theme | Anti-Trump |
| Filmed by | @kremlinAnnex |
| Participants | @KremlinAnnex, Herndon-Reston Indivisible and others |
| Website | www |
TheKremlin Annex protests were a series of protests held inLafayette Square, Washington, D.C., in front of theWhite House. They are so named because protesters believed the administration of U.S. PresidentDonald Trump has been unduly influenced by theRussian government, also known informally as theKremlin.
The protests began on the evening of July 16, 2018, the day Trump returned from his controversialsummit with Russian president Vladimir Putin inHelsinki,Finland. The first protest was informally organized byPhilippe Reines, a political consultant and former spokesman forHillary Clinton. Other activists took over from there, includingDemocratic political strategistAdam Parkhomenko,[1] who said the protests were a response to "Donald Trump's total capitulation to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Helsinki Summit."[2] The protests continued every night for four months, then switched to three nights a week.[3][4]
The gatherings are more festive than somber, and have featuredmariachi bands, protesters in dinosaur costumes, a Russian translator "to help Trump understand our message," repeated playings of theBeatles song "Back in the U.S.S.R.,"[5] and occasional appearances by celebrities such asAlyssa Milano[1] andKathy Griffin.[6] Protesters hold up signs with glowing letters that spell out messages such as "TREASON" and "VOTE THEM OUT".[7] In August 2018, actress and comedianRosie O'Donnell appeared with 55Broadway musicians who performed songs from musicals such asHamilton andLes Misérables.[8][9][10][11][12]
The group has garnered international attention, including fromSputnik, a Russian government-owned news outlet.[13][14]
The protest's website is now defunct, and its Twitter is instead focused on theRussian invasion of Ukraine.
