When protests – and threats – come to officials’ front doorstep

Shortly after the draft opinion overturning women’s constitutional right to an abortion in the United States was leaked, activists began showing up outside the homes of Supreme Court justices. On many nights since, protesters have marched and chanted along the tree-lined street in suburban Maryland where Justice Brett Kavanaugh and his family reside.

To some, these demonstrations, which have been nonviolent, represent a last-ditch effort to try to send a message on an issue of vital importance. Many others, however, see them as harassment – and a breach of privacy that could ultimately endanger public officials. 

Those fears seemed to play out this week, when police arrested a man in his mid-20s, armed with a pistol and other weapons, who told them he was in the neighborhood to assassinate Justice Kavanaugh.

Following the neighborhood protests in early May, the Senate unanimously passed a two-page bill that would boost security for Supreme Court justices and their families. The bill has yet to be voted on in the House, a measure that Republicans have pushed for in recent days. But House Democrats’ delay isn’t because they disagree with the basis of the bill – it’s because they don’t think the Senate bill goes far enough. They want to add protection for clerks, staff, and their family members as well.