By Maria Trovato
The UMD Socialists held a speakout to protest Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court and support survivors of sexual assault Oct. 2.
The crowd of about 25 people stood in front of McKeldin Library, chanting phrases like “Whatever we wear, wherever we go, yes means yes and no means no!” and “When women’s rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up! Fight back!”
In between chants, several students gave speeches responding to the recent events regarding U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s being accused of sexual assault by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. Both Kavanaugh and Ford testified at the Senate Judiciary Committee Sept. 27.
On Oct. 5, the Senate voted 51-49 to advance Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. A final vote is scheduled to take place over the weekend.
Homa Hajarian is a member of the UMD Socialists and helped organize the speakout.
“We are staging this protest to speak out against this fascist rapist being on the U.S. Supreme Court and holding one of the most honored positions in this country,” said Hajarian, a fifth-year senior earning a dual degree in anthropology and agricultural technology. “We are standing in solidarity with Dr. Blasey Ford and we are standing in solidarity with all survivors and victims of sexual violence.”
Hajarian was one of several speakers at the event. She said she resonated with Dr. Ford because of her own experiences with sexual assault and the judicial system.
According to Hajarian, she went to court after her assault. Rather than finding her assaulter guilty, the court questioned her own moral character.
“We have a system of injustice where victims are put on trial for speaking about the atrocities that they face,” Hajarian said. “It takes a lot of strength to come forward on national television and tell your story to a group of white men who do not believe you, to a group of white men who make a mockery out of justice.”
Hajarian said that this type of sexual violence is a result of our institutions.
“It’s endemic to a capitalist system to have violence where a ruling class is protected at any cost,” Hajarian said.
Jibreel Lakhdar, who is also a member of UMD Socialists, said that the issues exposed by Kavanaugh’s nomination are reflective of larger political issues.
“Our institutions are so rotten right now that a rapist is literally about to be elected to the most powerful and undemocratic institutions in the United States, and therefore in the world,” Lakhdar said. “We are not going to be saved by anyone; we need to mobilize as much as possible.”
Rachel Colonomos, president of Preventing Sexual Assault (PSA), said sexual assault can affect victims years later, and that it takes a lot of strength to come forward. She said our institutions need to a do better job of supporting survivors and holding abusers accountable.
“If Kavanaugh gets confirmed, it will be a massive statement from our government that they are okay with one of the most esteemed positions in the world being filled with somebody who destroyed somebody else’s youth,” said Colonomos, a senior hearing and speech major “What this [protest] will do is show our administration that we will not support our Supreme Court supporting a sexual assaulter. The statement that we are making today says that our institutions need to do a significantly better job of preventing sexual assault.”
Maggie Lewis, a peer educator for sexual health at the health center, volunteered to speak to remind survivors to seek professional help on campus.
“It’s important to reach out when you need it,” Lewis said. “I know systemically and institutionally, College Park does not have a strong reputation in aiding survivors, but there are resources that exist.”