January 10, 2017

Protesters Dressed in KKK Robes Interrupt Opening Minutes of Jeff Sessions’ Confirmation Hearing

“White people don’t get arrested!”


Moments before the start of Sen. Jeff Sessions’ confirmation hearing on Tuesday, chaotic scenes broke out in the Senate Judiciary Committee, as two demonstrators dressed as Ku Klux Klan members shouted in protest against Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general. They were swiftly escorted from the room.

“You can’t arrest me! I’m white!” one of the protesters said as officials removed them from the hearing.

The incident comes as civil rights groups urge Senate Judiciary Committee members to reject Sessions’ nomination. Many of them point to his past efforts to block black judges from serving on the federal branch as evidence he is not fit to lead the Justice Department.

Breaking with long-standing Senate tradition, Sen. Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, will join civil rights hero Rep. John Lewis, a Democrat from Georgia, on Tuesday to testify against Sessions’ appointment.

Sporadic protests continued throughout the first hour of the confirmation hearing, interrupting Sen. Sessions’ opening remarks.

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DEFEND THE TRUTH. DEFEND JOURNALISM.

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

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