Protesters across the country are calling for President Donald Trump to release his tax returns.
The crowd in New York City stretched for blocks as speakers, including comedian Sarah Silverman, stood next to a giant inflatable rooster, bearing Trump’s golden hairdo, on a stage in Bryant Park Saturday afternoon.
Silverman and others questioned what Trump is hiding by not showing his tax returns to the public, including possible ties to Russia and other conflicts of interest.
“Fishy [expletive] is going on,” Silverman told the crowd, referring to Trump as a “walking human ego” and “emotional child.”
Comedy writer Frank Lesser, whose tweet in January sparked the idea for the Tax March, said the participation in the marches proves that people want to see Trump’s returns, despite his administration’s assertion that because he won the election, nobody cares.
“Mr. President, you know how you’re always asking immigrants to show they’re papers? Well now, we want to see yours,” he said.
Other speakers included City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Public Advocate Letitia James and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, who said there were at least 25,000 participants in the NYC march.
The demonstrators left Bryant Park at about 2:30 p.m. to march to Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, chanting, “No more secrets, no more lies. Show your taxes, show your ties” as they walked.
Other tax marches were taking place in Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago and dozens of other cities. They coincided with the traditional April 15 deadline for tax returns.
Trump has repeatedly said he can’t release his tax returns because they are under audit, though many tax experts have said he is not barred from releasing the information during the audit.
