Protest, rally mark local reaction to Kavanaugh hearings

Debate and protests over the controversial confirmation hearing of Judge Brett Kavanaugh continued Friday in the Twin Cities, ranging from a street gathering of about 75 people in Minneapolis to 450 attendees of a sex abuse conference in St. Paul.

Drivers of cars, semi-trucks and buses honked their horns around noon as protesters held signs and chanted in front of Sen. Amy Klobuchar's office on Washington Avenue in downtown Minneapolis.

Slogans on the signs included "No SCOTUS for sexual predators" (referring to the Supreme Court of the United States) and "July 1, 1982, Timmy's House," a reference to the place Kavanaugh is alleged to have assaulted Christine Blasey Ford.

Diana Schansberg wanted to add her voice of disapproval to Kavanaugh's potential confirmation for the Supreme Court. She called the Senate confirmation hearings a sham.

"What is Kavanuagh covering up?" she said.

Lee Johansen said that he had "never seen anything so disgusting" as the televised hearings, and added that he was disappointed in Republican senators for not taking a stand against Kavanaugh.

"I didn't think Kavanaugh was the right choice before the allegations became public," he said.

Osler called for such an investigation earlier this week, along with two others among 23 of Kavanaugh's Yale Law classmates who signed the August letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Osler said he found Ford credible, while Kavanaugh's testimony made him question the judge's impartiality and temperament.

"The raw anger he displayed and the way he treated our senator, Amy Klobuchar, was disturbing," he said.

Osler said he worried that Kavanaugh's confirmation would place the Supreme Court as an institution under a cloud, even though Kavanaugh would be a junior member working with fellow justices.

"Injured people with power are sometimes dangerous," he said.

"The Judiciary Committee investigates, and it already did so, including at the hearing Thursday," he said.

While people showed their support for Ford in Minneapolis, her story was a hot topic at a child sex abuse conference in St. Paul.

The conference, part of the Zero Abuse Project started by the law firm of Jeff Anderson and Associates, included breakout sessions about how advocates, attorneys, teachers and social workers can deal with a survivor's trauma, the role of faith leaders in the healing process and trauma in the welfare system.

Anderson, a nationally-recognized attorney in the sex abuse field who recently helped survivors reach a $210 million abuse settlement with the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, talked about the family of a boy molested by a priest that started the lawsuit 35 years ago. When family members informed the archdiocese, they received a check for $1,500.

"Survivors sharing stories is triumph of the truth," he said.

"Every time somebody stands up, we know another person is protected," he said.

One of those standing was Joelle Casteix, an author and advocate who was abused as a child. She said no victim would want to be grilled like Ford was during the hearing, that it might scare others from coming forward.

Nancy Wiltgen, a university teacher, was more optimistic. Despite all Ford went through, Wiltgen said, she showed grace under pressure and should inspire victims to seek help or tell their stories.

At least one local sex abuse advocacy group wasn't sure if Ford's action had created an uptick in calls. But Colleen Schmitt, director of programs and the 24-hour crisis line for Minneapolis-based Cornerstone, said that call volume has been up the entire year.

"In general, more people are aware that help is out there and a listening ear," she said.