RICHMOND, Va. -- A group of demonstrators staged a "Funeral for Old Democratic Party" Thursday, on Capitol Square. Calling it a "vigil to mourn the failures of our elected leadership" and calling for a new Democratic party to rise.
“It is now taking a picture from thirty years ago for y'all to finally see what people were trying to tell y'all two and three years ago about that white supremacist Ralph Northam," said Montigue Magruder.
It's the political party which protesters said rose to prominence with its selection of Andrew Jackson for president and forced removal of indigenous southern communities.
Now they want something new.
"Someone who’s going to put forth pro-environmental policies, pro worker policies, pro people policies," said Joseph Rogers.
As protesters carried a box coffin representing the death of old democracy through the steps of the State Capital, the community is looking ahead to what will happen to Govenor Northam.
“To come out and say hey this was me, then the next day to say well I don’t know if it was me, you’ve already broken the trust of your constituency," said Brooke Taylor. "So we can’t take stuff like that. We need truthful politics.”
“No more demands. We demanded, and asked, and cried for long enough," said Magruder. "It’s time that we take power from these people.”
Protesters said they will continue to share their voice until Governor Northam is out of office. He has stated that he has no plans to resign.
