Activists protesting against the Supreme Court’s expected ruling gutting Roe v. Wade gathered outside the homes of two conservative justices over the weekend and plan to do so again later this week.
Close to 100 protesters chanted and waved signs Saturday evening outside the Maryland house of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, then marched to the nearby home of Chief Justice John Roberts. Police eventually ordered them to disperse when they returned to Kavanaugh’s house.
“The time for civility is over, man,” protest organizer Lacie Wooten-Holway told Bloomberg. “Being polite doesn’t get you anywhere.”
Protesters took action after a leaked draft opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito that jettisons half a century of reproductive rights was published by Politico. The final decision is expected in late June.
Activists are now organizing other gatherings outside conservative justices’ homes to take place on Monday and Wednesday.
The organization Shutdown DC announced a vigil at Alito’s house Monday night.
“Justice Alito thinks he can take away our rights. But our rights are fundamentally ours. We’re showing up to tell him in person,” the organization tweeted.
The group Ruth Sent Us is organizing protests at the homes of the six conservative justices — three in Virginia and three in Maryland. The group’s name is a reference to late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
“If you’d like to join or lead a peaceful protest, let us know,” said a message on its website.
Some Republicans have characterized both the leak and the demonstrations against the expected ruling as “intimidation” of judges and say it’s illegal.
Roberts and Kavanaugh declined to comment on the protests, Bloomberg reported.
“The court as a matter of policy does not discuss security arrangements,” Supreme Court spokeswoman Patricia McCabe told Bloomberg on Friday.
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