Ahead of a 1 pm national walkout on Monday to support Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez — who have accused US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault — and demand that lawmakers oppose him, hundreds of critics flooded Capitol Hill to target specific senators such as Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), whose responses to the women’s claims have outraged advocates for survivors of sexual violence.
RIGHT NOW: Large crowd of activists & allies in black are occupying the Hart Senate building to make sure our lawmakers know we will NOT be silenced. We need our senators to step up to the plate – Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination must be withdrawn. #StopKavanaugh #CancelKavanaugh pic.twitter.com/oNLQ6HykII
— NARAL (@NARAL) September 24, 2018
We’re with our friends @womensmarch, @CPDAction, @beaheroteam, and protestors from all over, filling the halls of Congress to take a stand against Kavanaugh. Our senators must #BelieveWomen, #BelieveSurvivors, and #StopKavanaugh. ✊🏽 pic.twitter.com/mvAUrNAHcd
— #IBelieveChristine (@WeDemandJustice) September 24, 2018
Dozens of demonstrators were arrested Monday morning outside Collins’ office in Washington, DC.
35 women arrested outside @SenatorCollins’ office.
Now we’re here to deliver our message to @JeffFlake: #BeAHero. #CancelKavanaugh. #BelieveWomen. pic.twitter.com/IzAJiORhTd
— Women’s March (@womensmarch) September 24, 2018
Those who weren’t arrested then moved to the office of Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.). Survivors who participated in the Capitol Hill protests shared their stories.
“The stories we’re hearing from survivors are chilling. They’re all too devastating and all too common,” Women’s March tweeted. “They’re why we’re here today. They’re why we’ll be back Thursday.”
The entire hallway is in tears. We are at a moment in history where women have to repeat their trauma to the masses to literally beg Senators to vote with moral clarity. #StopKavanaugh #BelieveSurvivors #BeAHero pic.twitter.com/Ky26a9fPTf
— Helen Brosnan (@HelenBrosnan) September 24, 2018
“I’m 52 and I’ve been carrying this burden my whole life. I’m here today to let that go. I’m hear to say no more. Please #CancelKavanaugh today.”
📸 by @brookesaias pic.twitter.com/XGl4szKMIl
— Women’s March (@womensmarch) September 24, 2018
From Flake’s office, they moved to the office of Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.). His staff, according to Women’s March, refused to come out to meet with the hundreds of demonstrators, so some participants began making their way into the office.
We’ve delivered our message to @JeffFlake.
Up next: We’re here to talk to you @SenSasse. We want to know if you #BelieveWomen. We need to know if you’re ready to #BeAHero and #CancelKavanaugh, or if you want to go down in history as a rape apologist.
📸 @brookesaias pic.twitter.com/mLWeEkAzv4
— Women’s March (@womensmarch) September 24, 2018
Other protests planned for lawmakers’ offices throughout the country on Monday include actions at Collins’ Portland office; Flake’s Tucson office; the Des Moines office of Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa); the Austin and Dallas offices of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas); the Denver office of Sen. Cory Gardner; and the Reno office of Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.).
Today, UltraViolet members are showing up at GOP senators’ offices in Portland, Des Moines, Dallas, Austin, Denver, Tucson, and Reno to demand the Senate actually #BelieveSurvivors and #StopKavanaugh.
Find an action near you: https://t.co/TYvCQyRYpc pic.twitter.com/fNufyO9jZI
— UltraViolet (@UltraViolet) September 24, 2018
Additional actions are planned for Thursday, when Ford is set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Women’s March is tracking the scheduled events with an interactive map.
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