On Tax Day, April 15, thousands from the New York area gathered on the streets of Manhattan for a “Tax March,” a protest designed to put pressure on President Trump to release his personal tax returns. The day coincides with the day typically known as the deadline to file taxes, though this year the deadline falls on April 18.
Though official counts are not in yet, the New York City rally and march, which took place between Bryant Park and Trump Tower, is believed to have drawn between 35,000 and 45,000 attendees. In addition, more than 150 other cities across the country hosted similar marches.
The New York Times described the marches as the largest collective demonstration since the Women’s March in January, which drew millions worldwide.
Karen Hobert Flynn, president of Common Cause, a nonpartisan group that advocates government reform, explained, “The American people are outraged that President Trump has broken his promise to release his taxes.” She described the marches as a way for people to express that they “don’t like what is going on at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and they expect changes, beginning with the release of President Trump’s taxes.”
Kellyanne Conway, senior counselor to the president, told ABC News correspondent George Stephanopoulos, “People didn’t care [about his tax returns]; they voted for him.” White House spokepersons have maintained this position despite polls indicating the opposite.
A poll by Bloomberg/Morning Consult found that 53 percent of voters say Trump should be forced to release his tax returns. 51 percent reported that the president’s taxes are either very or somewhat important to them.
California Senator Dianne Feinstein said on Twitter, “There’s no excuse for President Trump not to release his taxes. They’re key to understanding whether he has conflicts of interest.”
As with the Women’s March, there were no shortage of inventive signs and costumes at the NYC Tax March. Many marchers wore pink “pussyhats” and paper hats made from photocopied tax forms.
A 30-foot inflatable chicken with signature Donald Trump hairstyle graced several marches with its presence.
The national movement demanding change continues in coming weeks with the March For Science occurring in multiple cities on Earth Day, April 22, and the People’s Climate March on April 29.
