If pro-life demonstrators did this to Sonia Sotomayor, we’d never hear the end of media warnings about “far right” mob rule and intimidation of public officials. Instead, given that the target of this campaign is Brett Kavanaugh and the purpose is abortion on demand, don’t expect too much media tongue-clucking over intimidation of this public official. Or too much media coverage of it, either.
WTOP’s Alejandro Alvarez reports on the Chevy Chase march, which ended up in front of the Supreme Court justice’s residence. The crowd demanded his resignation, and then jeered the police that showed up to protect the Kavanaugh family:
Loud yells of “We’re going to Kavanaugh’s house! Out of your homes and into the streets!” through a quiet neighborhood near the D.C. state line. Many watching from their porches. Trio of Montgomery Co. police on motorbikes zipping ahead. pic.twitter.com/JtI7OHUfPW
— Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) September 13, 2021
Someone else accused the court of abandoning its duties for partisan politics. “The buck is supposed to stop with the Supreme Court, now we know they’re just a tool,” they said, to which another person replied: “they’re a weapon!” More views: pic.twitter.com/oxF68N77yB
— Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) September 14, 2021
I don’t use the term “intimidation campaign” lightly. If the protesters merely wanted to demonstrate over the decision — certainly a legit form of public engagement — then they could have demonstrated at 1 1st Street NE, where the Supreme Court is located. That would have had plenty of media accessibility and visibility, not to mention making it easier for demonstrators to get to and from the event.
Targeting Kavanaugh’s house for this demonstration is a deliberate escalation. They want Kavanaugh not just to hear them but to fear them. They want to pressure him into either changing his vote under the implicit threat that they know where he lives, or to resign altogether for the same reason.
How much coverage did this intimidation campaign draw? Well, there was Alvarez, and … not much else. It did get picked up by our colleagues at Townhall, our friends at National Review, the Daily Caller, and the conservative Washington Times, but that’s about it on the Bing News search. Much of the rest of the media spent yesterday hyperventilating about a planned protest on Saturday in support of the January 6 riot defendants, which will take place at the Capitol, not in front of someone’s house.
One can only imagine the coverage if the “Breyer Retire” campaign began targeting Stephen Breyer’s home. Or … perhaps it might be much the same, as the media likely finds that cause almost as sympathetic.
Bonus: The crowd tried intimidating the police, too. Classy.
Plenty of police stationed around Kavanaugh’s house. Protestors booed them early on, then this protestor tells them, “Go do your actual job, you’re just fucking standing there.” pic.twitter.com/pA0XYakv1Y
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) September 14, 2021
Update: I incorrectly cited Desert News as Alvarez’ employer. He is in fact the digital editor for WTOP. My apologies for the error.
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