Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R-Va. pledged to work with both federal and local law enforcement to ensure the safety of Supreme Court justices whose homes in Virginia have become the scene of protests after the leak of a draft opinion on the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision.
Protests occurred over the weekend outside the Washington, D.C.-area homes of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the Washington Examiner reported. Protests are planned later this week at the homes of Justices Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, and Amy Coney Barrett, Newsmax reported.
"Virginia State Police will assist federal and local law enforcement as needed in order to ensure the safety of our citizens, including Supreme Court Justices, who call Virginia home," Youngkin said in a tweet.
Peaceful protesters organized by ShutDownDC marched to Justice Samuel Alito's home in Alexandria, Va., where they held a vigil for abortion rights and chanted, "Our bodies, our life," and "Our right to decide."
Youngkin said his administration has been "coordinating" with the Fairfax County Police Department and the Virginia State Police to ensure no violence.
The Senate unanimously passed a bill Monday evening that would beef up top-level security services to justices and their families. The bipartisan bill, which passed by voice vote with no objections, did not provide additional funding, which could come later, ABC News reported. The bill now moves to the House for its consideration and aims to put the court on par with the executive and legislative branches, making certain the nine justices are provided security.
The White House defended "peaceful" protests that have taken place outside of the Supreme Court and the homes of the justices.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted Monday that President Joe Biden "strongly believes in the constitutional right to protest. But that should never include violence, threats, or vandalism. Judges perform an incredibly important function in our society, and they must be able to do their jobs without concern for their personal safety,” ABC News reported.
Police have set up a tall fence and blocked off streets this week as people have protested in front of the Supreme Court building, which is across from the U.S. Capitol. They have also shut down the plaza and steps in front of the building.
“Trying to scare federal judges into ruling a certain way is far outside the bounds of normal First Amendment speech or protest," Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell said ahead of the vote.
Chief Justice John Roberts ordered an investigation into the leak by the marshal of the court. In a statement, the court confirmed the draft that was leaked is "authentic" but stressed it does "not represent a decision by the court."
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