Some of the People’s Supremes who served as the backdrop for San Diego’s rally. Photo by Doug Porter
One hundred ninely+ locations in all fifty states hosted events protesting the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court on Sunday.
Led by Move On, NARAL, and the People’s Defense Coalition, more than 70 activist organizations endorsed the rallies and marches.
The event in San Diego was held at Waterfront Park on the west side of the County Administration Building. Roughly 300 people attended, cheering on speakers and marching thru downtown afterward.
Although California’s U.S. Senators are likely to vote against the nomination, rallies throughout the state sought to amplify the message being sent to elected officials, namely that Kavanaugh’s conformation would cement into place the worst and most dangerous of Donald Trump’s policies for generations to come.
As always, the signs for San Diego’s rally were creative and expressive. Photo by Doug Porter
Sunday also happened to be the 98th Anniversary of the the 1920 signing of the Nineteenth Amendment, which officially granted women the right to vote. Congress declared August 26 Women’s Equality Day in 1973, with a resolution introduced by Rep. Bella Abzug (D-NY).
#UniteforJustice rally in New York, via NARAL Twitter
A snip from coverage at Vox:
This isn’t an ordinary year. Reproductive rights advocates fear that, if confirmed, Kavanaugh could be the deciding vote in overturning Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed women the right to an abortion (though that right, like voting rights, looks different in practice). If the decision is overturned, reproductive freedom for millions of Americans could be under threat. And since the ability to decide when and whether to have children is intimately linked with the ability to work, study, and participate fully in society, advocates say women and all people who can get pregnant would be at risk of becoming second-class citizens.
That’s why women’s rights and other progressive groups across the country, including the Women’s March, Color of Change, and the National LGBTQ Task Force, are organizing events on Sunday to protest Kavanaugh’s nomination and get out the vote for the upcoming midterm elections. The events will range from a barbecue in Birmingham, Alabama, to a “Texas-size postcard party” at the Texas State Capitol, where attendees will write postcards to Texas women urging them to vote in November. In Anchorage, Alaska, protesters will write letters to Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who is seen as a possible “no” vote on Kavanaugh due to her pro-abortion rights views. Then some of those in attendance will board a plane to deliver the letters to Murkowski in person.
#UniteforJustice rally in Los Angeles via Ilyse Hogue Twitter
A snip from the Union-Tribune story:
Senate Republicans are pushing to move ahead with confirmation hearings on Kavanaugh’s nomination beginning Sept. 4. But opponents contend that is too soon to examine more than 1 million pages of documents related to Kavanaugh’s work in White House during the George W. Bush administration.
Unite for Justice and other groups organized the rally over concerns on Kavanaugh’s stance on abortion rights, health care, voting rights, LGBTQ rights and environmental protections, among others. The called for supporters to urge their senators to oppose the nomination.
#UniteforJustice San Francisco via Bruce Mirken Twitter
Looking for some action? Check out the Weekly Progressive Calendar, published every Friday in this space, featuring Demonstrations, Rallies, Teach-ins, Meet Ups and other opportunities to get your activism on.
You can now get the Weekly Progressive Calendar delivered to your inbox every Friday. And it’s Free! Subscribe and get an email every time a new article in this series is posted!
Subscriptions to the Starting Line (Monday-Friday) are available:
Did you enjoy this article? Subscribe to “The Starting Line” and get an email every time a new article in this series is posted!
I read the Daily Fishwrap(s) so you don’t have to… Catch “the Starting Line” Monday thru Friday right here at San Diego Free Press (dot) org. Send your hate mail and ideas to DougPorter AT SanDiegoFreePress.Org Check us out on Facebook and Twitter.
Doug Porter
Latest posts by Doug Porter (see all)
- Last Call. Last Column. - December 14, 2018
- Which Presidential Candidate Will You Support in 2020? - December 13, 2018
- Mounting the Assault on Big Gay and Other Drivel From SDSU’s Minimum Wage Scrooge - December 12, 2018
I’m committed to exercising my first amendment rights through peaceful public demonstrations.However, I am increasingly concerned that these marches are preceded by extraordinarily lengthy presentations that do little to engage the audience, but rather alienate many, discouragr participation and end up with people leaving before the March even starts, because they are too hot too bored ( often can’t even hear the speakers) or too annoyed about the repetition and preaching to the choir. I implore the people who run these marches to seriously curtail the presentations and consider the marchers, who are there to MARCH.