WASHINGTON DC — Dozens of protesters, including members of Congress, gathered along the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to protest a dinner hosted by Paramount Skydance chief executive David Ellison. The event was described as a celebration of the First Amendment and an occasion to honor the Trump White House and CBS White House Correspondents.

Donald Trump attended the dinner, which was held ahead of Saturday's White House correspondents' dinner. The gathering took place as the Trump administration weighs whether to approve a $110 billion merger between Paramount Skydance and WarnerBros Discovery, the parent company of CNN. WarnerBros Discovery shareholders voted overwhelmingly to approve the merger, which will still require approval from the Department of Justice and European regulators.

U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin referred to the event as a lavish oligarch's dinner for Donald Trump. Raskin said the proposed merger would bring many television networks under the control of the Ellisons and was crafted to consolidate old and new media in the interests of the MAGA movement and the Trump family.

Democratic Vermont Representative Becca Balint said protesters were demanding accountability while those at the dinner were celebrating power and corruption. Speakers at the protest encouraged the crowd not to give up hope on blocking the merger.

Norm Eisen, founder of Democracy Defenders Action, said the dinner honoring the Trump administration resembled a celebration of the First Amendment the same way a book burning is a celebration of the written word. "You all are celebrating the first amendment by being here to block the merger," Eisen said.

Many antitrust experts view a lawsuit from a coalition of state attorneys general as the most likely way to block the deal.