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Protesters gather outside of Rep. Darrell Issa's Vista office

Posted at 11:20 AM, Jun 06, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-06 14:34:53-04

VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) - A group of protesters gathered outside of Rep. Darrell Issa's Vista office Tuesday morning and urged him to disavow President Trump's policies.

The group says they want to let the Republican congressman know that they do not agree with the way he supports Trump. They believe Issa is not standing up and putting his constituents first.

Vista resident Ellen Montanari, a single mother and small business owner, is leading the effort. She said she's furious with recent comments made by Issa.

This week, protesters are proudly displaying their ZIP codes on their name tags because at Issa's town hall meeting last Saturday, Montanari said he called them paid protesters.

Montanari insists they are not paid, and she said they are just his constituents angry with his leadership and want change.

RELATED: Congressman Darrell Issa climbs on office roof during Vista protest

Supporting the protesters on Tuesday were members of the American Civil Liberties Union, who gathered to help after the city of Vista began requiring protesters to rally across the street, and not on the public sidewalk in front of Issa's office on Thibodo Road.

The city says the restrictions are for safety purposes, like reduced visibility to traffic and noise complaints.

However, Montanari feels the restrictions violate her constitutional rights. She comes out every Tuesday with a purpose -- to exercise those rights and teach her children who have special needs to stand up for what they believe in and speak against what they don't.

RELATED: Congressional reporter says Rep. Issa gave middle finger after Comey question

"Both of them have health care issues. I'm extremely upset about the repeal of the Affordable Care Act; it affects both of them, and I will fight until my dying day for health care for the two of them," Montanari said. "We talk about what I'm doing and why I'm doing it all the time, my daughter who has special needs has become quite an activist, as a matter of fact."

Montanari said she will continue to protest until Issa's next election.