Thousands Turn Out For Downtown LA March To Demand President Trump Show His Taxes
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Several thousand people, including local and state lawmakers, turned out to march Saturday in downtown Los Angeles to demand President Donald Trump release his tax returns.
Event organizers for the Tax March said the movement is to demand transparency and fairness from the president. The event got underway at 11 a.m. in Pershing Square. The demonstrators marched to City Hall.
"What is he hiding?" protester Tami Schmidt told CBS 2' Greg Mills."Let us see. Let's us see what is there."
"Part of that releasing of your taxes is to show how honest you are," protester Leon Johnson said.
The protest was peaceful, there was no word of any arrests.
April 15 is the national deadline for people to file their tax returns, although this year since the date falls on a Saturday, the deadline has been moved to Monday.
"Throughout his campaign, Donald Trump told the American people he would release his tax returns. Despite intense public pressure, President Trump has not yet done so - breaking with 40 years of precedent in the process," said a statement on the Tax March website. "His administration's excuse? `People don't care.' We do care. Without seeing his tax returns, we have no idea what he's hiding."
This was one of several such tax marches that took place in cities across the country, including the nation's capital.
Protester Taylor Vaughn told Mills there was no place else she would rather be.
"Who needs to be at Coachella when you can be marching for resistance?" she quipped.
Speakers Saturday included U.S. Reps. Ted Lieu and Brad Sherman, State Sen. Mike McGuire and County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl.
Protester Leon Johnson, like many, cited former presidents releasing their returns.
"Part of that, releasing of your taxes, is to show how honest you are," Johnson said.
Many of the signs protesters held could not be shown on TV, Mills noted.
Yet there were also many that were straight-forward and humorous including "Stop Putin Us Off" and "Show Us Your Taxes Or There Will Be Hell Toupee."
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