Progressive Groups, Led By NARAL and MoveOn, Held More Than 200 Events Across All 50 States Today To Demand Senators Reject Brett Kavanaugh’s Nomination To Supreme Court
| For Immediate Release: August 26, 2018 Contact: [email protected] |
Today, NARAL members, MoveOn members, and voters across the country came together for the largest single-day protest of a Supreme Court nominee in history with more than 200 events across all 50 states. As part of the August 26 “Unite for Justice” national day of action, people rallied in every state, red and blue, to demand that their senators do their jobs, uphold the will of the people, and vote no on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination.
More than 75 organizations, representing tens of millions of people, joined the effort as part of the massive grassroots mobilization against Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court. All across the country—from large rallies in New York and Los Angeles to a postcard party in Texas; a BBQ in Birmingham, AL; and rallies from Portland, ME, to Anchorage, AK, and everywhere in between—the message was made clear: if senators vote against women’s fundamental freedoms and other deeply American liberties by confirming Kavanaugh, we will vote them out of office.
“What we saw today was the largest single day protest of a Supreme Court nominee in history. From coast to coast, in every state, people of all stripes came out to make sure their voices are heard and their senators know the massive opposition to Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination,” said NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue. “Brett Kavanaugh is the least popular Supreme Court nominee in recent history whose nomination is being rammed through over protests of a corrupt process because Donald Trump and the GOP know that this nomination won’t withstand scrutiny of a transparent and public process. People across the country understand the damage he will do to our rights, our lives, and our fundamental freedoms. Brett Kavanaugh will vote to end Roe v Wade, criminalize abortion, gut the Affordable Care Act, roll back LGBTQ rights, and decimate the Voting Rights Act and Affirmative Action. Opposition to Kavanaugh, and his stated positions, is large and growing in red states and blue states. GOP senators have spent their summer hiding from their constituents about this nomination. And today, whether they like it or not, they heard loud and clear the voices of the overwhelming number of Americans who oppose this nomination and expect their senators to vote no.”
“Not only would Trump’s nominee threaten to criminalize abortion and turn back the clock on many important rights and liberties—this nominee could also place the president above the law. Trump is under criminal investigation and was just named as a co-conspirator in crimes intended to help him win the 2016 election. He should not be allowed to put a justice on the court who could block the investigation,” said Anna Galland, Executive Director of MoveOn Civic Action. “Today, Americans in every single state sent a clear message: the time to come out as a no on Kavanaugh is now. As senators head back to Washington D.C. to consider their vote, the chorus of voices shouting no on Kavanaugh will ring clearly in their ears. Today showed that we have the energy and momentum. Senators would be wise to listen.”
Some highlights included:
- 1,200 people starting the day with a rally in New York City
- 200 person sermon in St. Petersburg, Florida
- 500 person rally in Portland, Maine that exclusively featured Mainers telling their stories
- 50 person silent march in Maplewood, New Jersey
- 150 people signing letters to senators at a brunch in Phoenix, Arizona
- 1,000 person march in Los Angeles, California
- 150 people listening to Nevadans tell their stories at a rally in Las Vegas
- 200 people ending the day at a rally in Anchorage, Alaska
People across the country, in red states and blue states, made their voices heard today. NARAL members and voters all across the country will be carrying this message from towns and cities to the Kavanaugh hearings next week in DC. Today was the largest single-day protest against a Supreme Court nominee in history because the American people are on our side. Polling shows that the majority of Americans don’t want Kavanaugh confirmed, including 72% of women. Kavanaugh is the most unpopular nominee in modern history, less popular than failed nominee Harriet Miers.
Joining NARAL and MoveOn in the day of action were 198 Methods, 350.org, AAUW Action Fund, Action Together Network, Alliance for Justice Action Campaign, American Federation of Teachers, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Battle Born Progress, Center for American Progress Action Fund, Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Reproductive Rights, Color of Change, Community Catalyst Action Fund, CREDO, DailyKos, Demand Justice, Democrats.com/act.tv, Democracy for America, End Citizens United, Equal Rights Advocates, Equality California, EveryVoice, Feminist Majority, Friends of the Earth, Giffords.org, Greenpeace, Health Care for America Now, Health Care Voter, Human Rights Campaign, Illinois Democratic Women, Indivisible, Jobs With Justice, Lady Parts Justice, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, League of Conservation Voters, Mainers for Accountable Leadership, MarchOn, MomsRising, National Abortion Federation, NAACP, National Council of Jewish Women, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Education Association, National Institute for Reproductive Health Action Fund, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, National LGBTQ Task Force, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Women’s Law Center, NextGen America, On Same Side, Our Revolution, Pantsuit Nation, The People’s Defense Coalition, People for the American Way, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Pro Choice South Bend, Progress Florida, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Protect Our Care, Raging Grannies East Bay, Religious Institute, ReproAction, SEIU, SIECUS, Sierra Club, Stand Up America, State Innovation Exchange, The Shalom Center, Ultraviolet, United Democratic Club, V-Day and One Billion Rising, #VOTEPROCHOICE, Women’s Equality Coalition Virginia, Working Families Party, Women’s March.
NARAL Pro-Choice America and its network of state affiliates are dedicated to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom for all Americans. NARAL works to guarantee that every woman has the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. In recognition of its work defending our constitutional right to choose, Fortune Magazine described NARAL as “one of the top 10 advocacy groups in America.”