Seven protesters, including a New York City Council member, were arrested Monday night outside Trump Tower while protesting President Trump’s conservative Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Brooklyn councilmember Jumaane Williams was among those taken into custody around 9 p.m. for blocking traffic in front of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue during the pre-planned demonstration and charged with disorderly conduct.
Prior to his arrest, Williams tweeted that he was “calling on all Democrats to have the moral courage to stand against a divisive #SCOTUS nominee & protect the progress that we’ve made from being stripped away. #reclaimSCOTUS.”
Outside of #TrumpTower just before Trump announces his #SCOTUS pick, calling on all Democrats to have the moral courage to stand against a divisive #SCOTUS nominee & protect the progress that we’ve made from being stripped away
#reclaimSCOTUS pic.twitter.com/VI2UQ18Xv9
— Jumaane Williams (@JumaaneWilliams) July 10, 2018
A subsequent tweet and video showed Williams marching down Fifth Avenue in front of Trump Tower with other protesters.
“From women’s decisions to LGBT rights, to unions, to racial justice, the stakes of this #SCOTUS fight could not be higher,” he wrote.
From women’s decisions, to LGBT rights, to unions, to racial justice, the stakes of this #SCOTUS fight could not be higher#reclaimSCOTUS pic.twitter.com/TG4QpblqZ9
— Jumaane Williams (@JumaaneWilliams) July 10, 2018
Kavanaugh, 53, is a federal appeals court judge who would replace longtime Justice Anthony Kennedy, another conservative who announced his retirement late last month.
Kavanaugh is the second SCOTUS pick Trump has had during his 18 months in the White House. The president selected Justice Neil Gorsuch last year, which returned the nation’s highest court to a conservative majority.
“He’s a brilliant jurist with a clear and effective writing style, universally regarded as one of the finest and sharpest legal minds of our time,” Trump said. “And just like Justice Gorsuch, he excelled as a legal clerk for Justice Kennedy. (He) deserves a swift confirmation and robust bipartisan support.”
