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Protesters detained outside Sen. Flake’s office

Posted at 3:39 PM, Oct 04, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-04 17:39:39-04

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    PHOENIX (KPHO/KTVK) — Arizona women’s advocacy groups are calling on Sen. Jeff Flake to not back Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside Sen. Flake’s Phoenix office Thursday.

“This nomination is a clear threat to our democracy,” said one protester.

“I’m tired of begging men to do the right thing,” said another.

About half a dozen women at the protest dressed up in costumes from the TV series “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

The floor-length red gowns and white bonnets resembled the dress of the “handmaids,” who in the television show are forced into sexual servitude under the totalitarian government that has taken over part of the United States. Their reproductive rights are stripped completely away.

One sign read “Never Kavanaugh, Never Gilead,” referencing the fictitious location of the show. Another sign said “Believe survivors.”

Other protesters held signs urging Democrats to get out and vote.

Our cameras were there as several protesters were detained, cuffed and led away to police cars.

Many Democrats say they oppose Kavanaugh’s confirmation because of his previous decisions on abortion and health care as a U.S. Court of Appeals judge.

Although he has vowed to uphold the Constitution and be impartial, many fear Kavanaugh, in this lifelong position, could tilt the American legal system to the right for an entire generation.

If confirmed, Kavanaugh would replace Kennedy, who as a frequent swing vote on the bench often sided with liberal justices on issues like affirmative action, LGBT rights and abortion.

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