Louisville protesters tell Mitch McConnell to be impartial in Trump impeachment trial

As the sun set Thursday, about 20 people gathered in front of the federal building on Broadway in Louisville to demand Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell give President Donald Trump a fair impeachment trial.

The group was part of a larger movement backed by Daily Kos, MoveON and Public Citizen. Within this coalition, groups gathered at senators' offices in seven states around the country to call for a "fair Senate impeachment trial."

In Louisville, activists reiterated McConnell should be fair or recuse himself from the proceedings altogether.

Patti Piatt, a former congressional candidate, organized Thursday's event and said she wants to hold McConnell accountable to impartiality.

"I think it's really important for the state of Kentucky to put pressure on Sen. McConnell because he's one of the most powerful men in the country," Piatt said. "We think he should be accountable to the citizens of Kentucky and hold a fair and impartial trial and that he should call witnesses."

She said it's not a partisan issue, "It's an American issue."

Read more: After saying 'I'm not an impartial juror,' McConnell pledges impartiality

McConnell told reporters in mid-December that "I'm not an impartial juror" and called the investigation the "most rushed, least thorough and most unfair impeachment inquiry in modern history."

The Kentucky Republican and his 99 fellow senators took oaths Thursday afternoon to "do impartial justice" as the impeachment trial against Trump formally began.

Piatt said McConnell and any other senator who wasn't prepared to be impartial should recuse themselves. "We don't expect that to happen," she said, "but honor your oath of office. Protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Maggie Jo Hilliard of Louisville, who's a candidate in the much-watched U.S. Senate race to unseat McConnell, said she doesn't think the senator is representing his constituents.

"We have a government that is not listening. It is corrupt," Hilliard said. "It's sad that we're out here on a cold night fighting for our democracy.

"As an attorney, I'm a former prosecutor, I put witnesses on to try a case. I listen to evidence. You need to be an attorney, here, Mitch. You need to be an attorney."

Betsy Foster, an executive with the progressive activist group Together We Will, said that "the American people need to know the full story behind impeachment. Everyone needs to hear the testimony. We want McConnell to make sure that there are witnesses. And we want to make sure that they are heard. And if he can't do that then McConnell needs to recuse himself."

From December: McConnell on impeachment trial: 'I'm not an impartial juror'

Wade Rowatt, 76, of Louisville, said he's afraid for democracy and future generations.

Holding signs that said, "Impeach and Remove" and "Trump is not above the law," Rowatt said, "I'm out here for my seven granddaughters. My grandkids. I don't want to see this democracy crumble and I'm afraid, if we an't have a fair trial, we can't have a democracy."

Kimberly Cecil-Jones , who sits on Indivisible's board of directors and hosts The Jones Report, said she's tired of what she sees as blockage and corruption.

"We have to defend our democracy," she said. "Or else, there could be a chance we wake up and there's a Russian flag flying outside the White House. It didn't happen overnight with Hitler. It didn't happen overnight with Stalin or Mussolini or Idi Amin. It happened slowly."

In a joint statement, the coalition that organized the event called for accountability as two articles of impeachment were taken to the Senate on Thursday.

Mohammad Khan, MoveOn's campaign director, said in the statement that "People all across the country are fed up with the efforts by Mitch McConnell to orchestrate a cover-up for Trump instead of what the Constitution demands: a full impeachment trial."

Other groups in the coaltion held events at the offices of Republican U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Alaska; Martha McSally, Ariz.; Cory Gardner, Colo., Susan Collins. Maine; Thom Tillis, N.C.; and Mitt Romney, Utah.

Full coverage: Senate opens impeachment trial against President Trump

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