People across the country stage walk outs in solidarity with sexual assault survivors
It's been a particularly traumatizing week for victims of sexual assault and harassment.
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh now faces at least two accusations of sexual misconduct, and yet, Senate Republicans remain determined to appoint him. In response, women's rights organizations organized a national walkout on Monday at 1 pm ET in solidarity with survivors.
Time's Up, along with NARAL Pro-Choice America, the Women's March, the YWCA, and Planned Parenthood helped plan the walkouts, organized under the hashtags #BelieveSurvivors and #StopKavanaugh. Protestors were encouraged to wear black.
Senate Republicans have been largely indifferent to or skeptical of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who was the first person to accuse Kavanaugh of sexual assault. On Sunday, Sen. Lindsey Graham admitted that he planned to vote for Kavanaugh regardless of what Ford said in her testimony.
For survivors and the people who care about them, the message is crushing and familiar: Your experience doesn't matter.
The walkout, however symbolic, served as antidote:
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Activists also staged a massive walkout and protest in the Russell Senate Office Building. Survivors delivered heart-wrenching testimony about their experiences:
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It's unclear whether these protests will have any effect on the Senate Republicans, who seem dead set on holding a vote, regardless of the mounting accusations against Kavanaugh.
#TimesNotUp for him just yet -- but that could change.
Topics Activism
Heather was the Web Trends reporter at Mashable NYC. Prior to joining Mashable, Heather wrote regularly for UPROXX and GOOD Magazine, was published in The Daily Dot and VICE, and had her work featured in Entertainment Weekly, Jezebel, Mic, and Gawker. She loves small terrible dogs and responsible driving. Follow her on Twitter @wear_a_helmet.
