White House press secretary Jen Psaki is cautioning Americans against violent protests in the wake of news that the Supreme Court is on the verge of tossing out two decisions that established abortion rights in the US.
As protests erupt around the country and the vast majority of Americans appear to be against the court’s decision, the White House is urging Americans to keep their cool and protest within constitutionally protected guidelines, including avoiding calls to violence.
Jen Psaki tweeted on Monday: “.@POTUS strongly believes in the Constitutional right to protest. But that should never include violence, threats, or vandalism.”
“Judges perform an incredibly important function in our society, and they must be able to do their jobs without concern for their personal safety,” she continued.
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Her comments come as protests have erupted near the homes of some justices on the bench as well as in cities around the country as Americans take in the reality of the likelihood that a major federally guaranteed right is about to vanish for many people living in states rushing to pass new abortion restrictions.
The court itself is now surrounded by large black fence segments to prevent demonstrators from descending upon its steps or surrounding grounds after a handful of small demonstrations that were nonviolent in nature occurred over the past week.
Family members of Justice Samuel Alito, the author of the draft decision leaked to Politico, have even been taken to undisclosed locations as concerns about the backlash to the Court’s actions grow. Over the weekend, a small group of demonstrators peacefully marched in Maryland near the homes of both Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Chief Justice John Roberts.
Democrats have acknowledged that they do not have the votes to codify Roe v Wade’s abortion protections at the federal level but are still set to take a vote on the codification of abortion rights into law in the coming weeks as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has insisted that he will force all senators to make their stances clear publicly.
He and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, have continued to denounce the Court’s likely impending decision and have somewhat gone on the offensive against moderate Republican senators like Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins for hesitating to join Democrats on the issue. The pair both said during the confirmations of justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh that they beleived the two justices would view Roe v. Wade as settled precedent; they also both claim to support the right to an abortion generally.
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“I don’t know why they say they’re for that and can’t be for this legislation,” Ms Pelosi told CBS’s Face the Nation over the weekend.
“Should we all have a discussion and find our common ground? Always, always. But you’re either for the enshrinement of Roe v Wade, or you’re not. It’s the law of the land,” she added.