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Leftist Group Announces Plan to ‘Blockade’ Supreme Court, Lines Up ‘Jail Support’ In Advance

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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


A left-wing organization calling itself ShutdownDC announced plans to “blockade” the U.S. Supreme Court building ahead of an expected ruling on overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision which legalized abortion in all 50 states.

The group announced the action on its website, which says the protest will begin at 7 a.m. on Monday, June 13, in Stanton Park in Washington, D.C. As part of the “shut down SCOTUS” protest, the group will “blockade” the streets around the Supreme court, according to the website.

June 13 was selected as a date because the high court historically has issued a flurry of rulings and opinions on that date in the past as it winds up its current session.

“On June 13, one of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision days, we plan to blockade the streets around the Supreme Court to rise up for the transformative change that our communities need,” the website says. “Right now our political system is in crisis. Times of crisis can either be opportunities to break through the inertia and win transformational change or they can be opportunities for the establishment to further entrench the status quo.”

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The protest will consist of smaller “affinity groups” of up to 20 people per group, and each group will have a “jail support liaison who can meet arrested folks” when they are released.

Organizers of the outdoor protest are also encouraging attendees to wear a mask and consider taking a COVID-19 test before attending.

The same group also held a “vigil” outside Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s home on May 9 in response to the leaked draft Supreme Court decision which could overturn Roe v. Wade.

“Justice Alito’s draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade is beyond alarming. It would not only allow states to outlaw abortion (which is already de facto unavailable to many who need it, particularly people from marginalized communities) but could also be used to allow states to outlaw contraception, same-sex marriage, protections for LGBTQ folks, and even interracial marriage,” the website noted last month, just a few days after Alito’s opinion was leaked in an unprecedented manner to Politico. “The evening of Monday, May 9, we will hold a vigil for all these rights that Alito is threatening to take away.”

Alito’s opinion was dated February; it’s not clear if the 5-4 majority ruling will stand, though subsequent reports following the leak indicated that the five conservatives who signed onto the ruling — Justices Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett — had not changed their minds.

The group’s announced action comes after the FBI warned last week that violence and other illegal activities will not be tolerated in and around the Supreme Court building.

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In a joint statement issued by U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Steven D’Antuono, they said the agencies are “committed to protecting the First Amendment rights of all Americans to express their views peacefully during demonstrations that take place on a regular basis in the nation’s capital, including at the Supreme Court.”

“We also have a responsibility to ensure public safety and the orderly conduct of government business. We will not tolerate violence, destruction, interference with government functions, or trespassing on government property,” the statement added. “We are committed to working closely with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to stop any individuals who intend to commit violence or criminal activity under the guise of carrying out a demonstration.”

The Washington Post, citing conservative sources within the court, reported that the four justices who agreed with Alito’s opinion had thus far refused to change their minds.

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“The draft opinion is a full-throated, unflinching repudiation of the 1973 decision which guaranteed federal constitutional protections of abortion rights and a subsequent 1992 decision – Planned Parenthood v. Casey – that largely maintained the right,” Politico reported last month.

In the “Opinion of the Court,” Alito wrote: “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start.”

“We, therefore, hold the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. Roe and Casey must be overruled, and the authority to regulate abortion must be returned to the people and their elected representatives,” he added.

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