Rally Held In Peekskill Over Supreme Court Vacancy

PEEKSKILL, NY — Members of six local groups held a rally in front of Senator Chuck Shumer's office Monday morning to call for the Supreme Court seat to be left vacant for the remainder of the presidential term.

"Friday night, America suffered the tragic loss of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG) after a long and valiant fight with cancer," said Mark Lieberman, one of the organizers.
"RBG served on the Supreme Court for 27 years and proudly stood for the equality of all Americans. She led the court’s liberal wing and became an icon to her admirers. Young women were especially enamored with this Jewish woman, mother and grandmother, referring to her as RBG."

The people at the rally said that they expect Schumer, the Senate's Minority Leader, to do everything and anything to stop the Senate from confirming a Supreme Court Justice prior to the inauguration.

Speakers included local residents who said they had been affected by key court decisions from Justice Ginsberg's time on the Supreme Court, ranging from the expansion of the Americans with Disabilities Act, to job discrimination.

"In grief there is resolve. We're here to do the work of Democracy," said Courtney Williams, a member of Peekskill Progressives. "We're strategizing how to push Senators to do the right thing. We're talking about tight races where Republican Senators might not want this to come up for a vote. How do we use our voices and their fear of losing re-election to stop this? This is about action and carrying on the legacy that Justice Ginsberg left for us."

The groups participating in the rally included CD17 Indivisible, Indivisible YorktownNY, Lower Hudson Valley DSA, Progressive Women of New York, Putnam Progressives and Yorktown for Justice.

"We're here because we agree with Mitch McConnell and Lindsay Graham. No new Supreme Court Justices in an election year. What's good enough for Garland is good enough for Ginsberg!" said attendee Tina Volz-Bongar.