Women Across the Country Protest in #BelieveSurvivors Walkout Over Brett Kavanaugh
On Monday afternoon both women and men walked out of offices, schools, and homes across the country in solidarity with Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez, the women who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct more that three decades ago, and other survivors of sexual assault who are hoping to spur enough change to derail a Kavanaugh confirmation.
Wearing black and carrying signs with messages like “#BelieveSurvivor,” “I Believe Her,” and “I Still Believe Anita Hill,” the march hit a personal nerve for many who weren’t just marching in support but marching due to their own experiences.
“Women know what it feels like to be constantly aware that we have to protect our body. We know the fear of dark streets. We know all too well the knot is our stomach when we are at a party and a sketchy man is too close, too drunk, too unpredictable. So much of our lives are centered around what not to do with men,” director of the #DearProfessorFord video and coauthor of Together We Rise, Paola Mendoza tells Glamour. “This is our reality. And yet when a woman decides to speak out about the violence she has encountered at the hands of a man she is often not believed. This painful reality is why women around the country organized to make their voices heard today.”
The passion of those who walked out was palpable, even just by viewing the myriad posts blanketing social media.
The message was intensely clear: Many women are fed up with not being believed, and they’re indignant over the way the Senate is handling the allegations against Kavanaugh.
“Today I wore black and walked out because I believe Professor Ford, because I believe Deborah Ramirez, because I believe women, because I believe survivors…. I don’t know a woman who hasn’t experienced some iteration of the stories shared with #metoo and #WhyIDidntReport,” activist and actress Sarah Sophie Flicker tells Glamour.
“These experiences shape our lives, our health, our sexuality, and our relationships. I want more for my daughter, and I want more for my sons. That is why I participated today. Women will not let this go. We have a serial sex offender in the White House. We have an abuser on the Supreme Court already. Not one more.”
In Washington, D.C., activists marched from the Senate to the Supreme Court. Some even camped out in front of Senator Susan Collins (R–Maine) office, considered a possible swing vote in the Kavanaugh confirmation.
PHOTO: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Women’s March copresident Tamika Mallory addresses the crowd in front of the Supreme Court.
PHOTO: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Many carried anti-Kavanaugh signs as they walked out of their respective offices.
PHOTO: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Women also showed support for Anita Hill, along with Blasey Ford and Ramirez.
PHOTO: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
The halls of the Hart Senate Office Building were filled with protesters, mostly dressed in black.
PHOTO: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Women raised their fists in a show of solidarity.
PHOTO: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
Demonstrators protest against the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to be a Supreme Court Justice outside of the office of Maine Senator Susan Collins.
PHOTO: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Some protesters wore Yale sweatshirts. Ramirez claims she was assaulted by Kavanaugh while they were both attending the university.
PHOTO: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
Some protest signs were incredibly direct, like this one that read: “Senators, get Brett’s penis out of our faces!”
Celebrities and regular citizens alike took to the streets—and to their social media platforms—to show their support. Even teenage boys felt compelled to get involved.
https://twitter.com/FullFrontalSamB/status/1044273646859104256
https://twitter.com/AllisonBJanney/status/1044273675401224194
https://twitter.com/msdebbieallen/status/1044282611768545280
https://twitter.com/Racheldoesstuff/status/1044281130072006657
Like so many of the movements and marches that have taken place since the election of Donald Trump, it is women’s voices leading the way in hopes of a better future for not only themselves but our entire country.
You can read the latest updates on the Kavanaugh confirmation here.
Related Stories:
#MeToo Advocate Alyssa Milano: Christine Blasey Ford Has ‘Zero Reason to Lie’ About Brett Kavanaugh