Hundreds Arrested in Supreme Court Protest
Hundreds of protesters against US President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee have been arrested as the judge inched closer to confirmation.
Police said 302 people were detained as Republicans declared that an FBI report had exonerated Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault allegations.
But Democrats said the five-day FBI inquiry was “incomplete” because it was limited by the White House.
The Senate will hold a procedural vote on the nominee on today. The likelihood of Judge Kavanaugh passing a full Senate vote appeared to increase on Thursday after two Republicans whose votes will be essential gave a positive account of the FBI inquiry.
If confirmed to the lifetime position on America’s highest court, the 53-year-old is expected to help conservatives dominate the ninemember panel, which has the final say on issues such as abortion, gun control and voting rules.
What happened at the protests?
Thousands of mainly female demonstrators marched on Thursday through the nation’s capital, starting at the appeals court where Judge Kavanaugh currently presides.
They converged on Capitol Hill and held a rally outside the Supreme Court, chanting: “Kavanaugh has got to go!”
Police rounded the protesters up in a Senate office building after they sat down and refused to budge.
Comedian Amy Schumer and model Emily Ratajkowski were reportedly among those arrested. US Capitol Police kept demonstrators at bay by forming a protective barrier around lawmakers walking through corridors. Some activists unfurled banners saying they believed the woman who alleges Judge Kavanaugh assaulted her when they were teenagers. Others held signs that read: “Kava-Nope.”
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