50 Faith and Human Rights Groups Write Open Letter Demanding Bannon's Removal from Trump Transition Team

On Wednesday, November 16, more than 50 faith-based and human rights organizations penned an open letter condemning president-elect Donald Trump's appointment of alt-right leader Stephen Bannon to the post of White House chief strategist. And on Thursday, members and allies took their message straight to Washington. 

Bannon led Breitbart from 2012 until August 2016, during which time he approved controversial headlines such as, "Bill Kristol: Republican Spoiler, Renegade Jew," "A Short List of Black Lives Matter’s Cop-Killing Heroes" and "Birth Control Makes Women Unattractive and Crazy."

Bannon was appointed chief executive of the Trump campaign in August, but it was not until president-elect Trump proposed a potential cabinet position for the former Breitbart exec that mainstream media came out swinging.

The Anti-Defamation League, Bend the Arc, Jewish World Service, Human Rights Campaign, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, League of United Latin American Citizens, and National Immigration Law Center, among many others, came together to denounce the choice to bring a known white supremacist to the White House.

The following day, members of the groups assembled in the lobby of Breitbart News headquarters in Washington, D.C., where Trump's transition team held a meeting with his team. Security quickly escorted the protesters out of the building, but the movement is still growing at StopBannon.com.