May 9, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Psaki: Biden believes protests shouldn't include "violence" or "threats"

Erin Doherty

Pro-abortion demonstrators rally for abortion rights outside of the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on May 7, 2022. — Demonstrators rally for abortion rights outside of the Supreme Court on May 7. Photo: Jose Luis Magana/AFP via Getty Images

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that protests "should never include violence, threats, or vandalism."

Driving the news: "POTUS strongly believes in the Constitutional right to protest," Psaki wrote in a tweet. "But that should never include violence, threats, or vandalism."

Vandals this weekend targeted an anti-abortion group's office in Wisconsin, and it is being investigated as a case of arson, said Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes.
A Molotov cocktail thrown into the building failed to ignite, but a separate fire was started, according to a police report.

State of play: "Judges perform an incredibly important function in our society, and they must be able to do their jobs without concern for their personal safety," Psaki added.

Abortion activists demonstrated this weekend in front of the homes of Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Protesters first convened on the streets in front of Kavanaugh's Maryland home this weekend, chanting, "No uterus, no opinion," WUSA 9 reports.
The demonstrators subsequently went to Roberts' home, where they shouted, "the world is watching," per WUSA 9.
No arrests were made during the weekend's protests and no vandalism or threats of violence were reported, a Montgomery County Police Department spokesperson said in a statement.

What to watch: Protests are planned for throughout the week in front of the Supreme Court and in front of Justice Samuel Alito's Washington residence, per WUSA 9.

Go deeper ... Dashboard: The latest on Roe v. Wade and abortion

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Psaki: Biden believes protests shouldn't include "violence" or "threats"

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