Protesters gathered outside of the Virginia Governor’s Mansion on Saturday demanding embattled Gov. Ralph Northam resign after a photo resurfaced this week of him and another person wearing blackface and Ku Klux Klan garb.
RVA Dirt, a self-described “grassroots” political group, organized the protest outside of the Governor’s Mansion in response to the racist photo’s reemergence. The protesters began arriving at Northam’s residence at around 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time and were armed with signs demanding that he step down.
“We trusted you, Ralph,” one sign read.
Another said, “Evict Northam”:
A small group of people has gathered near the Governor’s Mansion asking #RalphNortham to resign. pic.twitter.com/gJy69vwaUp
— Georgia Geen (@georgia_geen) February 2, 2019
— John Ramsey (@johnwramsey) February 2, 2019
Protesters with signs calling for Northam to resign are starting to show up around the governor’s mansion. pic.twitter.com/8WUpM8cEjF
— John Ramsey (@johnwramsey) February 2, 2019
A small group of protestors have gathered outside Virginia Governor’s Mansion to call on Ralph Northam to resign.
“We trusted you, Ralph,” reads one.
“Evict Northam,” reads another. pic.twitter.com/pe4KlV1R9F
— Dan Merica (@merica) February 2, 2019
Good morning from Richmond where a small group of protestors are standing outside the governor’s mansion, a day after Northam faces backlash over 1984 yearbook photo. pic.twitter.com/hOJkehuefj
— Gordon Rago (@gragonews) February 2, 2019
Protest starting outside the governor’s mansion pic.twitter.com/Vo6XjeewxV
— Patrick Wilson (@patrickmwilson) February 2, 2019
Protestors outside of Ralph Northam’s Governor’s Mansion call for his resignation this morning after a racist photo of the governor surfaced from an old Med school yearbook pic.twitter.com/evmRcdoxDT
— Sarah Mucha (@sarahmucha) February 2, 2019
A small crowd gathers outside the governor’s mansion demanding the resignation of @GovernorVA Ralph Northam. pic.twitter.com/Coz39qMh6H
— Style Weekly (@StyleWeekly) February 2, 2019
Protestors have turned around to face the governor’s mansion. Chants ringing out louder now. pic.twitter.com/8GuWW12iZn
— Gordon Rago (@gragonews) February 2, 2019
Small group of protesters outside Virginia Governor’s Mansion calling for Northam’s resignation. So far, no word from the governor this morning. pic.twitter.com/lq4HTRblIb
— Marissa Parra (@MarParNews) February 2, 2019
“Resign now! Resign now!”
Chants from a small group of protesters outside Virginia Governor’s Mansion calling for Ralph Northam’s resignation. So far, no word from him today. pic.twitter.com/8ZxNZ5O6dX— Marissa Parra (@MarParNews) February 2, 2019
A group of protesters yelling “Hey hey, ho ho, @RalphNortham has got to go!” outside the Governor’s mansion in Richmond —> pic.twitter.com/iFollltBam
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) February 2, 2019
I spoke to Jewel Gatling, 39, who’s from Portsmouth but was a speaker at the protest. Says she was just at an advocacy day for MLK day here in Richmond with Gov. Northam. She didn’t believe the yearbook photo was real at first, thought it had been photoshopped. Pictured right. pic.twitter.com/7C2PNlTeYv
— Gordon Rago (@gragonews) February 2, 2019
This guys standing outside the Virginia Governor’s mansion just has a piece of cardboard with “Please” on one side, and “Resign” on the other —> pic.twitter.com/LUn70rm03e
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) February 2, 2019
LIVE on #Periscope: Interview outside Virginia Executive Mansion with Jewel Gatling https://t.co/KwP5IKPzua
— Patrick Wilson (@patrickmwilson) February 2, 2019
“We’re here today because the history of Jim Crow is obviously still alive and living up in the governor’s mansion,” says local activist Arthur Burton. @GovernorVA #RalphNortham pic.twitter.com/BGmoAlBuVN
— Style Weekly (@StyleWeekly) February 2, 2019
Protestors outside the Governor’s Mansion in #Richmond call for @GovernorVA to resign pic.twitter.com/QCXAgPngZh
— John Eric Miller (@EricMillerWDBJ7) February 2, 2019
Group of protesters gathering in front of the governor’s mansion. pic.twitter.com/40FSzdYPIc
— Marie Albiges (@MarieAlbiges) February 2, 2019
Good god this sign from outside the governor’s mansion in Richmond. (via Steve Earley/VP) pic.twitter.com/bkEMCOsTlv
— Sean Kennedy (@SeanDKennedy) February 2, 2019
Crowd of about 20 protesters outside Va. Governor’s Mansion calling for Northam to resign so Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax can take over. Almost as many (maybe more) reporters here. pic.twitter.com/cdokCxHsRL
— Ned Oliver (@nedoliver) February 2, 2019
More speakers. Strong words from this gentleman. Video soon. pic.twitter.com/rrpPgGZqX2
— Gordon Rago (@gragonews) February 2, 2019
Outside the Governor’s mansion in Richmond, VA pic.twitter.com/1xxxUTT6WJ
— Alex D’Elia (@Alex__DElia) February 2, 2019
Here’s James Boyd, the president of the Portsmouth NAACP, speaking earlier. “Anytime you mask yourself as blackface, it’s wrong. It’s intolerable.” pic.twitter.com/Bqr9Yh6l73
— Gordon Rago (@gragonews) February 2, 2019
Small but very vocal crowd here at the VA Governor’s mansion to demand Ralph Northam’s resignation. Great speeches & lots of media. My protest sign is pictured here. Will include others as well. #ResignNortham #GovernorJustinFairfax #DestroyWhiteSupremacy pic.twitter.com/sbyO3xdbmo
— Deborah Cohen (@g8r84) February 2, 2019
One man told me he voted for Northam, and he’s out here today to take his vote back. pic.twitter.com/GPa6HCkRyj
— Mallory Noe-Payne (@MalloryNoePayne) February 2, 2019
Northam appears to have almost no choice but to resign after losing support from virtually the entire state Democrat party and other key allies, who urged the governor to leave office because of a racist photo in which he appeared more than 30 years ago.
The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, the state House Democratic Caucus, and the state Senate Democratic Caucus called on Northam to resign late Friday, along with several key progressive groups that have been some of the governor’s closest political allies.
Their calls for Northam to step down came in a wave late Friday after the Democrat apologized for appearing in a photo in which one person is dressed in blackface and another is wearing a full Ku Klux Klan uniform. The photo appeared in his 1984 medical school yearbook.
The yearbook images were first published Friday afternoon by the conservative news outlet Big League Politics. The Virginian-Pilot later obtained a copy from Eastern Virginia Medical School, which Northam attended. The photo shows two people looking at the camera — one in blackface wearing a hat, bow tie, and plaid pants. The other is in a full Ku Klux Klan robe.
In his first apology, issued in a written statement, Northam called the costume he wore “clearly racist and offensive,” but he did not say which one he had worn.
He later issued a video statement saying he was “deeply sorry” but still committed to serving the “remainder of [his] term.”
“I accept responsibility for my past actions, and I am ready to do the hard work of regaining your trust,” Northam said.
A small number of protesters stood outside of the governor’s mansion Saturday to demand his resignation.
Northam appears to have virtually no path forward to remain in office without any institutional support. His departure would mean current Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, a Democrat who is only the second African American to win statewide office in Virginia, would be the next governor. Northam’s term was set to end in 2022.
State Sen. Louise Lucas of Portsmouth, a close ally of Northam and longtime African American lawmaker, said black leaders felt “mortally wounded” by the photo and that he has no option but to resign.
“He betrayed us,” she told the Associated Press on Saturday.
Others said there is no question he should step down. Among them are Democrat presidential hopefuls Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-CA), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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