Protest Block Parties

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—A young crowd of roughly 100 pro-abortion rights protesters gathered in the parking lot of a Walgreens in downtown Alexandria Monday evening. In a few moments, they would march down quiet neighborhood streets until they reached Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s home.

Monday’s march came on the heels of a Supreme Court draft opinion written by Alito and leaked earlier this month showing that a majority of justices may vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that enshrined a right to abortion. In response, the pro-abortion rights group Ruth Sent Us announced plans last week to send protesters to “homes of the six extremist justices, three in Virginia and three in Maryland.”

Before Monday’s march to Alito’s house, rally organizers laid down ground rules. “Breathe in, breathe out,” one organizer said through a megaphone. Number one: Don’t engage with the police. She then pointed to the organization’s police liaison, a lanky 20-something named Daniel wearing a reflective safety vest. And number two: Be wary of engaging with the press. 

“Make sure you know who they are,” the rally organizer said. Only volunteer first or middle names when speaking with reporters, she warned, and try not to engage with conservative outlets like Breitbart, The Daily Signal, and The Daily Caller. “You might want to see their ID. Anti-choicers love to get you on camera acting goofy, you know, they can do whatever they want to their videos,” the organizer added.