Protesters chanting loudly outside Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home in Maryland said they wanted to impinge on his privacy with picket signs and chants of “We will not go back!” to condemn the Supreme Court justice’s apparent support for overturning Roe v. Wad. Lacie Wooten-Holway, a 39-year-old teaching assistant, has been protesting regularly outside the home of her neighbor, Kavanaugh, since October. Though they have been largely peaceful, the protests at the homes of Kavanaugh and Justice Samuel Alito have drawn criticism from Republicans, who accuse Democrats of improperly pressuring the court, reports the New York Times. . Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) called for the protesters to be prosecuted criminally.
Supporters of abortion rights point to years of protests by abortion opponents in front of abortion clinics and the homes of doctors. They accuse Republicans who defended the Jan. 6, 2021 attackers at the Capitol of hypocrisy for being gripped by concern about passionate protesters. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said that while the president believed in the right to protest, “that should never include violence, threats or vandalism.” The Justice Department has directed U.S. Marshals to help “ensure justices’ safety.” Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, called protesting outside the homes “reprehensible.” Wooten-Holway said her protests would remain peaceful on public property outside Kavanaugh’s home. In Alito’s neighborhood in Alexandria, Va., demonstrators flanked by police cars walked through the streets hoisting signs, including one that asked, “Does this feel intrusive?” Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) called the police on demonstrators who used chalk on the sidewalk outside her Bangor home to write a message asking her to support abortion rights legislation.