Activists Arrested Protesting Hearing of Extreme Trump Judicial Nominee Menashi
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 11, 2019
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ACTIVISTS ARRESTED PROTESTING HEARING OF EXTREME TRUMP JUDICIAL NOMINEE MENASHI
Dozens of Activists Chanted and Blew Rape Whistles to Protest Menashi’s Work to Roll Back Protections for Sexual Assault Survivors
WASHINGTON, DC—Activists from Demand Justice and the Center for Popular Democracy Action lined the halls outside Wednesday’s confirmation hearing of Trump’s nominee to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, Steven Menashi, to urge the Senate to reject his nomination. They could be heard inside the hearing room, and several were arrested after blowing rape whistles and chanting “Title IX is on the line” because Menashi assisted Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in rolling back protections for students who have survived sexual assault.
“We have exposed Republicans for trying to slip this extreme nominee under the radar, and now even they have criticized Menashi for stonewalling,” said Christopher Kang, Chief Counsel of Demand Justice. “Menashi’s work for the Trump administration has been so controversial that he wouldn’t even admit which policies he’s contributed to. His nomination must be rejected.”
Menashi is currently a White House lawyer who participates in Stephen Miller’s Immigration Strategic Working Group. Throughout his hearing, Menashi refused to answer which controversial immigration policies he advised on and dodged questions about his involvement in Trump’s policy of separating families at the border. Even Republican Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) repeatedly expressed concern that Menashi would not answer these questions.
Today’s protest follows a petition delivery yesterday conducted by Demand Justice, CPD Action, and CREDO Action, during which organizers presented Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) with 110,000 signatures urging the Senate to oppose Menashi.
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