'We believe Christine Blasey Ford' was the message of the national walkout. Here's what it looked like across the U.S.
Throngs of women clad in black and holding “Believe Survivors” protest signs walked out of their job sites, homes, and classrooms on Monday, all of them taking part in the National Walkout and Moment of Solidarity — a cross-country demonstration of support for the women who have accused Supreme Court hopeful Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, essentially halting the nomination process and breathing new life into the #MeToo movement.
“I think it’s important that women’s voices are listened to and that the Supreme Court repairs its integrity,” Elizabeth Batkin, 24, a first-year law student at New York University, who had walked out of her lawyering skills class, tells Yahoo Lifestyle at Manhattan’s Washington Square Park, where a crowd of other women and men had gathered.
The #BelieveSurvivors walkout was announced on Friday by organizations and individuals including NARAL, Planned Parenthood, the Human Rights Campaign, the Women’s March, and #MeToo movement founder Tarana Burke. Originally planned as a rally around Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault in an incident that happened when they were both in high school, the event had its Facebook page updated on Monday to also include mention of Deborah Ramirez, whose accusation against Kavanaugh (of an alleged penis-flashing incident from when the two were at Yale) was covered by Ronan Farrow in the New Yorker on Sunday evening.
Photos of women in support of Ford, Ramirez, and anyone else who has suffered a sexual assault — as well as the resulting accusations, misunderstandings, and insults, as epitomized by Donald Trump’s tweet last week noting that if Ford’s accusation were “as bad as she says,” then “charges would have been immediately filed…” — flooded social media, particularly Twitter, where #BelieveSurvivors was trending.
#BelieveSurvivors Albany Law Domestic Violence Prosecution starts by BELIEVING SURVIVORS of SA pic.twitter.com/Ip4CS4Rs2v
— Mary Lynch (@ProfMaryLynch) September 24, 2018
We walked out today in support of survivors. #believesurvivors pic.twitter.com/H0GyuJPHP6
— Diana aka LadydeeLG (@dianalimongi) September 24, 2018
CFA staff out supporting this morning's national walkout saying we #BelieveSurvivors and #StopKavanaugh @ the California State Capitol pic.twitter.com/4DNopqKes7
— Eddie Kirby (@CaliforniaELK) September 24, 2018
I walked out, so far today that I got in my car and drove home. I am wearing black to support Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, and any women survivors. #believesurvivors #timesup #wolfpack https://t.co/dyV3rIE7Xf
— Abby Wambach (@AbbyWambach) September 24, 2018
Our staff walked out today in solidarity with survivors of sexual assault. We are proud to stand with other activists in our community and across the country. Our voices will be heard. #BelieveSurvivors #BelieveChristine pic.twitter.com/2klxV1SF8o
— Ms.FoundationWomen (@msfoundation) September 24, 2018
#believesurvivors #stopkavanaugh #beahero
A post shared by Kimaya Salaskar (@kimayakama) on Sep 24, 2018 at 11:31am PDT
A tweeted video of a crowd taking part in the walkout at the U.S. Senate building, where protestors were arrested in the Russell rotunda, had more than 25,000 views and a slew of comments, including, “As a victim, let me humbly & sincerely thank you for your advocacy. When you bring awareness to survivors, it is never done in vain.”
NOW: The walkout begins in the Hart Senate Office Building. #BelieveSurvivors pic.twitter.com/QqdyOV4DUW
— NWLC (@nwlc) September 24, 2018
Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:
? ‘You’re a repulsive human’: Donald Trump Jr. receives harsh criticism after seemingly mocking Kavanaugh’s sexual assault accuser on Instagram
? Experts weigh in on judging Kavanaugh for alleged adolescent behavior: ‘Most teens don’t do that type of thing’
? Kathy Griffin shares savage response to Donald Trump Jr. and his new girlfriend’s Instagram photo
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