Over 100 protesters gathered outside Los Angeles City Hall Friday to express support for Christine Blasey Ford and oppose the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
The protest was organized before the Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to advance Kavanaugh’s nomination while ceding to a request from Republican Senator Jeff Flake to conduct a limited FBI-led investigation into the sexual assault accusations against Kavanaugh. President Donald Trump later said he has ordered the FBI to conduct a “supplemental” investigation on Kavanaugh.
Ford spoke before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday and detailed her accusations that Kavanaugh groped her when the two were teenagers.
Kavanaugh also testified and denied any wrongdoing. Several other women have also publicly accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, although they were not called to testify before the Senate committee.
Many of the protesters outside City Hall said they believed Ford and that Kavanaugh should not be placed on the Supreme Court.
“Dr. Ford has courageously come forward for every survivor. Whether straight, whether LGBT survivors — so many have been silenced,” said Francesca Jacobs of Victims Advocate Association to the crowd.
“There is not one person in the legal system that should ever silence anybody’s voice. The investigations are so important,” she said.
Some of the speakers at the rally talked about being victims of sexual abuse or harassment.
“When I was 5 years old my dad’s best friend thought it would be a good idea to grab me and sexually assault me,” actress Tara Strong said
She added, “For Christine Ford to not be believed is despicable … What on earth does she have to come out for? Nothing, but for her civic duty to protect our rights.”