Yale Club

New Yorkers march against the nomination of Judge Kavanaugh

Protesters held up signs as they marched through Midtown Manhattan Monday night. They were protesting the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Photo by Mikaela Gegelys

The streets of Midtown Manhattan were flooded with protestors Monday night, as thousands gathered to march against Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court.

“It is important to show up to have these conversations,” said New York University student and protestor Sylvie Wilk. “We need to center the focus on those who are most vulnerable to this newest assault on the justice system.”

Kavanaugh has been accused of sexual misconduct by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Deborah Ramirez, and Julie Swetnick. But it was the testimony of Blasey Ford on Thursday and the rush to confirm the judge that led to New Yorkers marching. The march began at Madison Square Park, then stopped in front of the Yale Club, a private club for Yale alumni and faculty, and ended with a rally at Grand Central Station.

Morris Rakner, a graduate of Yale University and an attorney, is strongly against Kavanaugh’s nomination.

“I watched the hearing, I thought that Judge Kavanaugh handled himself very poorly and I think he was truly offensive,” said Rakner. “I think he would potentially be way too partisan to judge issues that had a political bearing.”

Samantha Schwartz attended the march to fight the gender double standard.

“I think it’s really disappointing that men get to grow up with this idea that their actions don’t have consequences,” said Schwartz. “With Kavanaugh in a place of power it shows young men that their actions don’t have consequences and it can get them into a place of power.”

In addition to Kavanaugh’s alleged sexual assault, some protestors believe that Kavanaugh should not be nominated because they think that he lied in his testimony. Dr. John Heon, an education consultant, did not believe that Kavanaugh was honest in the hearing.

“This (Kavanaugh’s hearing) is truly an indication that we are in the post-truth era,” he said. “Kavanaugh has such a record that we can’t say at this point exactly what happened, but there is enough evidence that things did happen that were reprehensible and we have to take it seriously.”

Heon also believes that Republicans should propose an alternative for Kavanaugh in the nomination.

“If the Republicans can’t come up with someone who is untainted by sexual assault, then there is a problem,” said Heon.

 

Protesters march against Judge Kavanaugh

By Alexandra Mathew

Hundreds of people marched from Madison Square Park, to the Yale Club and Grand Central Station last night in protest of the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

“They don’t get no peace, if we don’t get no justice,” they shouted as the members of the private club for Yale alumni and faculty shut their blinds.

The protest came in the wake of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Kavanaugh’s highly charged hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. Despite Blasey Ford’s powerful testimony of being sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh, the committee pushed through his nomination. But they have agreed to allow a one week long FBI investigation into the allegations against Kavanaugh.

For the protesters at the Yale Club, this wasn’t enough.

“They’re just trying to ram the nomination through still,” said Susan Ryan, 48. “They’re pretending to appease the public and adhere to procedure, but in actuality this is a Republican interest agenda, it’s a corporate agenda. That’s all they care about.”

Many of the protesters shared their anger at how the treatment of Blasey Ford during the hearing was a direct example of how women are treated in America.

“We are being confronted with misogyny everywhere,” said Katie Cooney, 37. “Our radar for trouble is always on, we are always on guard and we see the direct psychological effects of how sexual assault ruins your life with Dr. Ford. We need to change the culture.”

The credibility of Blasey Ford’s statements 36 years after the alleged assault is what was most commonly called into question by Republicans during her hearing. But other sexual assault survivors said lapses in memory are common for survivors.

“She was 100 percent credible in her statement,” said Kathy Hayes, 44. “Being a survivor of sexual assault I remember what she remembers. I remember the laughter.”

Ryan expressed her anger at how sexual assault victims are left as the one’s suffering while their assailants never face repercussions for their actions.

“He thinks he’s entitled to this position,” said Ryan. “And it doesn’t matter what he did, it doesn’t matter that he lied under oath, their going to push him through. It just speaks so clearly to how we blame victims and don’t take their allegations seriously as a country.”