Social justice group sets protest over Supreme Court nominee

Published 12:37 am Saturday, October 3, 2020

RALEIGH (AP) — A North Carolina-based social justice organization is planning demonstrations across the nation to protest efforts to fill the U.S. Supreme Court seat left open by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival said Friday that it plans to hold caravan protests on Monday at the offices of North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis over Sen. Mitch McConnell’s rush to push through Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett and his refusal to take up a relief package during the COVID-19 pandemic.

North Carolina protests are scheduled for Raleigh, Charlotte and Hendersonville. Other caravans are planned in California, West Virginia, South Carolina, Maine, Ohio, Kentucky, Texas, Mississippi and Oklahoma, a spokeswoman for the group said.

The rush by President Donald Trump to fill the Supreme Court seat has drawn fierce objections from Democrats, the first time in U.S. history a nominee will be voted on so close to a presidential election. Ginsburg died on Sept. 18, and Barrett was presented as the nominee one week later.

The Poor People’s Campaign has organizing committees in more than 40 states focusing on systemic racism, systemic poverty, ecological devastation, the war economy, militarism and religious nationalism.