Angry protesters opposed to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh stormed the office of Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Thursday chanting “No SCOTUS for criminal POTUS” and leading group-think sessions.
Protesters inside and outside the room where the committee is holding confirmation hearings for Kavanaugh, who if confirmed will replace retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, have continually disrupted the hearings and dozens have been arrested since they began on Tuesday.
One protester in Grassley’s office dressed in a suit and tie reminisced about the September 2011 Occupy Wall Street movement to protest alleged corporate greed and dubbed the office takeover “Occupy Chuck.”
Nothing was said during his rant, however, about Kavanaugh specifically or his singular 12-year tenure as a federal judge.
Police did not prevent anyone, including reporters, from entering the office and only enforced a clear pathway to and from the office entrance.
The protester said, and the other protesters repeated:
Occupy Wall Street — was that it was a home base.
People held the space.
People talked to each other.
People knew each other.
People went out and did other protests.
And then they came back.
This is occupy Chuck.
We’re here.
Some of our friends are going to do other things.
And they’ll come back.
And new friends will come.
We’re occupying.
We’re here.
We’re here together.
New cameras have come in.
We should tell folks why we’re here
Earlier we told stories.
And made everybody cry.
And made everybody shout.
Folks want to hear why we are here.
Let’s keep going.
The anti-Trump and anti-Kavanaugh protesters represent major left-wing groups, including Planned Parenthood, the Center for American Progress and organizers of the Women’s March that took place after President Donald Trump was inaugurated.
CNN reported:
The Women’s March has partnered with the Center for Popular Democracy this week to provide support to its members who want to participate in the democratic process, though [Winnie Wong, senior adviser to the Women’s March] also advised there are approximately 20 groups present here in DC — and emphasized that the groups are getting along and coordinating and supporting one another.
Wong said that she felt like her group had advocates in the hearing room on the dais, mentioning specifically Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris of California and Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii.
Women’s March co-founders Linda Sarsour and Bob Bland were among those arrested on Tuesday, according to CNN.
Follow Penny Starr on Twitter
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.