ST. LOUIS (AP) - Several hundred protesters gathered in downtown St. Louis to call on Republican Sen. Josh Hawley to resign over his continued rejection of Democrat Joe Biden's election victory - even after the riot at the U.S. Capitol by President Donald Trump supporters.
Those at the Saturday demonstration outside the historic Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis chanted, "No Hawley. No KKK. No fascist USA," and held signs calling on the first-term Missouri senator to resign. They also painted "RESIGN HAWLEY" in yellow block letters in the middle of the street.
"I had to come out today. I'm not generally a person who goes to protests, but I feel that he has really brought our state down poorly," Peter Doyle told TV station KMOV.
Many of Trump's allies, including members of his Cabinet, have distanced themselves from him since Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on Wednesday, following a rally where Trump spoke. Five people died as a result of the riot, including a Capitol Police officer who was struck in the head by a fire extinguisher.
Hawley, 41, and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, of Texas, embraced Trump's calls to reject Biden's victory before and after the attack.
Hawley has rejected the calls for him to resign and said repeatedly that he will not apologize for giving voice to millions who question the results of the election despite evidence it was fair. Hawley also railed against a major publisher for canceling a book deal with him after the riot.
Several prominent Missouri Republicans have distanced themselves from Hawley since the riot, including former Sen. John Danforth and major GOP donors Sam Fox and businessman David Humphreys, who expressed regret over previously supporting the Stanford- and Yale-educated lawyer.
Missouri's other senator, Republican Roy Blunt, deflected when asked Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation" whether he thinks Hawley and certain other Republican senators were complicit in the riot because they continued to insist the election's outcome could be changed.
"I think the president's decisions and actions that day and leading up to that day on this topic were clearly reckless," Blunt said. He also said he doesn't think Trump should resign, and he refused to say whether he thinks Trump committed an impeachable offense.