Port Townsend City Council member Michelle Sandoval called out through a megaphone Nov. 8, asking fellow protesters a single question at the intersection of East Sims Way and Kearney Street.

“Who is above the law?” Sandoval asked.

“No one!” replied the assembled crowd.

“Is Donald Trump above the law?” Sandoval followed up.

“No!” the crowd yelled.

The last time protesters gathered at the so-called “Triangle Park,” which connects to downtown Port Townsend, was more than a month ago, when nearly 30 protesters demonstrated Oct. 3, against the then-impending confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Like the anti-Kavanaugh protest, last week’s demonstration was part of a nationwide campaign against an appointment from President Donald Trump, this time of Matthew Whitaker to replace the since-resigned Jeff Sessions as U.S. Attorney General.

Libby Wennstrom, one of the organizers of the local “Nobody Is Above the Law” rally, noted a key difference between the anti-Kavanaugh protest and the demonstrations that have followed Sessions’ resignation.

“With Kavanaugh, it was much more hastily organized,” Wennstrom said. “This time, there have been plans in place for months, where if anything happened that looked like it might imperil (Special Counsel Robert) Mueller’s investigation, we all agreed we’d hold rallies at 5 p.m. local time the next day.”

Wennstrom was aware of “thousands” of similar demonstrations that occurred across Washington state, including in Sequim, Port Angeles, Seattle and Tacoma.

“I must have gotten 420 RSVPs for this event,” Wennstrom said Nov. 8, as both sides of East Sims Way, as well as the sides of the triangle that line Kearney and Jefferson streets, filled up with picketing protesters who held flashlights under their signs so passing motorists could see them. “I have no idea how many of them are here, since this place keeps filling up faster than I can count.”

Just as Wennstrom said she hoped the rally would show “the rule of law still exists in this country,” her fellow demonstrators voiced their desire to impart lessons to others, including those close to home and their hearts.

Sylvie Parker, 5, joined her mom, Jamie Hobbler, in holding up signs that night.

“People need to be held responsible for their actions,” Hobbler said. “I want my daughter to see the system works, hopefully.”

Lea Falkenhagen brought her own kids along that night to “show them how democracy works,” repeating the refrain that “nobody is above the law.”

“I want to protect what we have as a country so my kids can have the same rights and freedoms I had, and hopefully make things even better,” Falkenhagen said.

John Greenland works for the Seattle Times, but because he was working from home, he was able to join his wife Lauren that evening.

While John saw the protest as a way to “stand up to bullies,” Lauren regarded it as part of the extended responsibilities of citizenship.

“I did my part by voting, but we’ve all got to do more,” Lauren Greenland said.

“How many years have they investigated the Clintons?” John Greenland asked. “Trump’s been investigated for two years, and they already have all these indictments. They should let Mueller do his job.”

Carol O’Dell and Christopher Herold agreed that Mueller’s investigation, into any foreign government efforts to interfere with the 2016 presidential election, should be allowed to continue.

“We need to know what happened,” O’Dell said.

“I feel like the teeter-totter is tilting toward the dark side,” Herold said. “In some ways, it already has.”

Mike Morrissey expressed an anxiety voiced by many, that “we need to protect democracy, because it seems like it’s being taken away from us,” which Mark Stevenson amplified by accusing the Trump administration of stripping away people’s civil rights.

“The president doesn’t even seem to recognize those rights exist,” said Stevenson, who added he made up his mind months ago to take part in any protest to protect Mueller’s investigation. “I knew this was going to happen.”

While most of the picketers and chanters came from Port Townsend, Nancy Mann came from Port Hadlock and said she was heartened by the solidarity she saw.

“When we come together, we can make things happen, and make them better,” Mann said, “especially women. Women are rising right now.”

Darcy Reeder knelt on the asphalt to hold her 4-year-old daughter, Tzivia, as the little girl waved her sign.

“I’ve been telling her, there are lots of ways to be a helper,” Reeder said. “The folks in the cars who pass by, who honk their horns for us, are helping in a different way. We’ve been talking about how important voting is to democracy, and protesting is another part of that. Kids have a great sense of justice from the get-go. I just want her to keep it.”