Protests Planned In Newark After Trump’s Disputed Election Claims

NEWARK, NJ — Activists are planning to hold a pair of rallies in Newark on Wednesday to protest President Donald Trump’s disputed claim that he “won” the presidential election.

Trump has doubled down on claims that he won the 2020 presidential election, while Joe Biden's campaign said it will vigorously fight any efforts by the president to go to the U.S. Supreme Court to prevent outstanding ballots from being tabulated.

Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon said in a statement just before 4 a.m. that Trump's statement that he will "be going to the U.S. Supreme Court" to stop vote counting is "outrageous, unprecedented and incorrect."

The Associated Press hasn't declared a winner in the rancor-filled race.

• See related article: Trump Wants To Take Election To Supreme Court; Biden Vows Fight

Sen. Cory Booker, who has been projected as the winner of the U.S. Senate race in New Jersey, blasted Trump for his Election Day claims.

“Let’s be clear,” Booker wrote. “Donald Trump prematurely declaring victory when millions of votes still need to be counted is not normal and must be condemned.”

“We’re not a dictatorship,” Booker said. “Trump can’t steal this election. In a democracy, every vote must be counted—and that’s what will happen. We must be patient.”

• See related article: 'How Is Newark Doing?' Trump Mocks. 'Awesome,' City Replies

Booker isn’t alone in North Jersey.

Emotions haven’t reached the boiling point yet, but people are ready to mobilize and demand that every vote is counted in the 2020 general election, according to the Protect the Results coalition.

The group, which includes Climate Mobilization North Jersey, Food & Water Action and the Progressive Democrats of Hudson County, is planning to hold a “COVID-safe protest” in Newark on Wednesday at noon.

“We are not currently at coup status until [Trump] has collaborators in court and state houses to hijack the process and stop counting ballots, so for now, we aim to defend the counting of all votes,” organizers said.

The rally will take place at One Gateway Center, outside the Newark offices of Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. Bob Menendez. Participants are asked to wear face masks and social distance. (Learn more here)

Another rally is being planned for Wednesday in Newark by the People’s Organization for Progress (POP), the group that spearheaded a massive protest in the Brick City earlier this year in the wake of George Floyd’s death.

The POP plans to convene at 4 p.m. at the Lincoln Statue at the intersection of Springfield Avenue and West Market Street.

Participants will be asked to wear masks and practice social distancing. (Learn more here)

According to the group, after “deliberate efforts to undermine the postal service’s capacity to manage the election” and “purposely stacking the Supreme Court during the election process,” Trump’s stance on Tuesday night was predictable.

“Trump’s disregard of millions of voters who voted early is abominable and cannot be allowed to happen,” said POP founder Lawrence Hamm.

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