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Protesters Block the Entrance to Senate Building During First Barrett Hearing

Watch the confirmation hearing live here.

Protesters block the entrance of Hart Senate Office Building on the first day of the nomination hearing for President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett on October 12, 2020, in Washington, D.C.

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Dozens of demonstrators blocked the entrance to the Hart Senate Office Building Monday morning to protest the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee’s decision to hold the first confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump’s right-wing Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett with less than a month to go before the pivotal November election.

Chanting “Whose court? Our court!” and “Let the people decide,” the protesters gathered minutes before Barrett’s first confirmation hearing (which can be viewed live below) was set to kick off despite opposition to the proceedings from thousands of legal experts, civil rights organizations, and a majority of Americans.

“If Senate leadership forces a nominee before the next Congress and president are installed, it would deprive the people of their voice and further destabilize a nation already gripped by crisis,” Ana Maria Archila, co-executive director of advocacy group CPD Action, said in a statement ahead of the demonstration.

“We’re mobilizing all those who believe in freedom, equality, and justice to engage in direct action to put pressure on both key Senate Republicans as well as Democrats to ensure that this confirmation is delayed,” said Archila.

Watch the Barrett hearing:

Holding Trump accountable for his illegal war on Iran

The devastating American and Israeli attacks have killed hundreds of Iranians, and the death toll continues to rise.

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Trump may be an authoritarian, but he is not entirely invulnerable, nor are the elected officials who have given him pass after pass. We cannot let him believe for a second longer that he can get away with something this wildly illegal or recklessly dangerous without accountability.

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