White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki on Tuesday defended protests outside the suburban homes of conservative Supreme Court judges as “peaceful to date” – despite more than potentially illegal rallies scheduled for Wednesday to pressure judges to drop a bill anti-abortion rights decision.
“The president’s long-held view is that violent threats and intimidation of all kinds have no place in political discourse. And we believe, of course, in peaceful protests, “Psaki told a daily press briefing.
“I know I know there is outrage at the moment, I guess, about the protests that have been peaceful so far,” Psaki added later. “And we certainly continue to promote this outside the homes of judges, and that’s the position of the president.”
Psaki also waved a finger at Republicans, saying Republican voices calling for protesters had been silent “for years over protests that took place outside the homes of school board members” and outside the home of the Michigan secretary of state. She also referred to last year’s uprising in the Capitol.
“The silence is quite deafening to all the other intimidation we have seen of a number of people,” the spokesman said.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki insists that the protesters, who are gathering in front of the homes of Supreme Court justices, are “peaceful.” AP Photo / Manuel Balce Ceneta
But while Psaki has continued to repeat the lack of violence so far during various demonstrations outside the homes of Judges Samuel Alito, John Roberts and Brett Cavanaugh, their legitimacy is more related to pressure from judges to change their minds.
One section of federal law – 18 USC 1507 – states that anyone who intends to “obstruct, obstruct, or obstruct justice, or intends to influence any judge, juror, witness, or judicial officer” and pickets or parades in or near a court building or residence, “occupied or used by such a judge, juror, witness or court clerk” will be threatened with a fine or imprisonment of one year.
The law also applies to a person who uses sound trucks or similar devices “or resorts to any other demonstrations in or near such a building or dwelling.”
U.S. Capitol police detain protester in support of election attempt to throw chocolate milk at life activist to Supreme Court on May 8, 2022. AP Photo / Amanda Andrade-Rhoades
Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Department of Justice have not commented publicly on the matter and have not responded to a question from The Post as to whether it is monitoring these recent demonstrations and whether the ministry believes they are in violation of the law.
Meanwhile, several potentially large protests are scheduled for later this week – including “walks” outside the homes of all six conservative judges, organized by the abortion rights organization Ruth Sent Us on Wednesday.
Over the past two years, major political rallies in the District of Columbia have often turned into chaos. Protests against police brutality in 2020 turned into nights of destruction of the entire city, including an attempt to set fire to the headquarters of the AFL-CIO union to represent the police. In 2021, a mob of supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol, attacking police and journalists and destroying the historic building to stop certification of President Biden’s election victory.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki says Republicans need to be more concerned about right-wing activists. AP Photo / Manuel Balce Ceneta Attorney General Merrick Garland has not responded to any planned protests in front of the homes of Supreme Court justices. AP Photo / Amanda Andrade-Rhoades
Authorities in the District of Columbia have erected a high fence to fight riots before the Supreme Court following the unprecedented expiration of a draft abortion decision that will allow states to set their own abortion policies after half a century of federally guaranteed access to the procedure.
Alito, the author of the draft decision, is reportedly hiding with his family. It is unclear whether other judges remain at home.
Activists in the DC area have targeted private homes in the past. Left-wing protesters in 2018 smashed the front door of the house of Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson and were allegedly recorded to discuss a pipe bomb.
Republicans have accused pro-election protesters of trying to intimidate the Supreme Court. AP Photo / Jacquelyn Martin
The potential change in the status of abortion rights has outraged thousands of protesters across the country, as well as Democrats and some centrist Republicans in Congress.
The abortion debate has led to violence before, including the killing of health workers.
The protests come in response to a draft Supreme Court ruling last week that the court intends to overturn Rowe’s remarkable abortion decision against Wade.
Pro-choice activists continue to protest in front of the Supreme Court. AP Photo / Jose Luis Magana
On Monday, Psaki reiterated on Twitter that the White House did not support any protests that included violence, threats or vandalism.
“Judges play an extremely important role in our society and must be able to do their job without worrying about their personal safety,” she wrote.
So far, the White House has not discouraged protesters from traveling to the judges’ homes.
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