JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Dozens of activists gathered Saturday on the steps of the Duval County Courthouse to pay tribute to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and speak in opposition to her seat being filled before the election.
The group gathered for the “We Dissent” rally chanted: “No selection until after the election.”
Rally participant Nancy Staats said Ginsburg’s death left a huge sense of loss.
“And a sense of fear about what’s happening and the push forward to a new justice when, frankly, when she is not in the ground yet,” Staats said. “We’re being disrespectful of someone who was so respectful to every citizen of this country. It’s disheartening.”
The rally also included Judge-elect Rhonda Peoples Waters, the first Black woman to be elected to a county court seat in Duval County.
“I thought it was important for me to be here to honor RBG and what she has done for so many of us and especially me,” Peoples Waters said. “I also need to say that, as a judicial officer and an elected member of our society, I take no stance on any position. You elected me to follow the law and that is what I look forward to doing. My opinions will never impact following the law and that is the great example that RBG showed us.”
President Donald Trump announced his nominee to replace Ginsburg during a news conference Saturday evening. He named Judge Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative judge who is a longtime University of Notre Dame law professor.
Senate Republicans are readying for confirmation hearings in two weeks, with a vote in the full chamber now expected before Election Day.
The move has sparked an outcry, particularly among Democrats, who believe a pick should not be confirmed until after the election.
