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.
Members of @CPDAction and @housingworks blocking the entrance to #SCOTUS hearing. Chanting: #NoTestNoHearing and #LetThePeopleDecide pic.twitter.com/8AjY4T0Ip7
— Julia Peter (@julesp__) October 12, 2020
Chanting #LetThePeopleDecide outside the Senate NOW. So proud of our members putting their bodies on the line for Democracy w/ @housingworks @CPDAction @IndivisibleTeam pic.twitter.com/KIjIGijCkw
— Indivisible NationBK (@bkindivisible) October 12, 2020
Watch the Barrett hearing:
Join us in defending the truth before it’s too late
The future of independent journalism is uncertain, and the consequences of losing it are too grave to ignore. To ensure Truthout remains safe, strong, and free, we need to raise $31,000 in the next 48 hours. Every dollar raised goes directly toward the costs of producing news you can trust.
Please give what you can — because by supporting us with a tax-deductible donation, you’re not just preserving a source of news, you’re helping to safeguard what’s left of our democracy.