MetroWest Protesters Demand Mueller Report Release

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Dozens of protesters braved the wicked winds on Thursday afternoon to protest for the release of the Mueller report. The group was gathered for the MetroWest regional rally which was part of a nationwide #ReleaseTheReport rally. The rally was an effort to call on the U.S. Attorney General to release the entire "Mueller Report."

"We stand with Americans across the country to confront President Trump and Attorney General Barr and their efforts to hide the findings of the Mueller investigation from the public," said Norma Shulman, organizer of the rally, "We the people are the ultimate power of our democracy."

Similar rallies were held across the state, including in Waltham, Boston, Andover, Sudbury, Springfield and on Cape Cod.

As Shulman read her statement to the protesters, calling for transparency in the government, the crowd intermittently broke out into cheers. Several protestors held signs that read "Release the Report" and "It's Not Okay" which was the rallying cry of the event and a chant that echoed over the common.

Several protestors took their turn at the mic to express their feelings on the issue. A Natick resident spoke about taking action, "One thing that we could do right now, and somebody that might actually listen to us are the democrats in Congress, so I urge you to contact our members," he said.

The rally comes after news came out that the House Judiciary Committee voted to authorize a subpoena compelling Attorney General William Barr to hand over special counsel Robert Mueller's full — and unredacted — report, after he missed an April 2 deadline from Congress to do so.

The deadline was set by six House Committee Chairs after Barr released a four-page summary of the more than 300-page report, which outlines the findings of a two-year investigation led by the special counsel into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Not everyone gathered on the common to protest, some just to listen. Laura Grome listened to the rally from a distance, donning a red Make America Great Again Hat. "I was just curious as to what they have to say, I'm not here to make waves," Grome said. "I respectfully disagree — but I like to hear other people's perspective." She added that she is certain the report will be released "its just a matter of time," she said. More than anything, Grome said she wants people to coexist peacefully, "Why can't we all just get along," she said.

The rally did bring life to new friendships as well. Upton resident Sandy Greenwald and Sudbury resident Elaine Barnartt-Goldstein met at the rally and quickly became friends. "We just met today, I'm with her sign, " Greenwald said as the pair waved to oncoming traffic holding a protest sign.

Both women found out about the rally through email lists from previous protests they had attended. They said they consider themselves activists. "If I had a hashtag is would be #BubbeIsAnActivist," Barnartt-Goldstein laughed. She said she had been protesting the immigration law that separated families at the Sudbury Town Center but stopped after a few weeks. She was happy to pick up again here.

Greewald said she felt compelled to make an appearance. "We have to do something," she said. She plans on continuing her activism if the report is not released.

Organizer Norma Shulman live streamed the rally on Facebook. You can watch it on her page.

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