Calif. professor is '100 percent sure' Kavanaugh assaulted her, Bay Area rallies in support

As high drama testimony plays out in Washington, D.C. on Thursday morning during the Kavanaugh-Ford hearing, protests and rallies were planned thousands of miles in the Bay Area, home of Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused the Supreme Court nominee of sexual assault when they were teens. 

Ford opened her remarks by swearing to tell the whole truth and by admitting, emotionally, that she was "terrified" to testify.

WATCH: Full testimony by Christine Blasey Ford

But she was steadfast when she told  Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein she is certain she did not mistakenly identify Brett Kavanaugh as her attacker at a party when they were both in high school more than 30 years ago.

Kavanaugh, for his part, declared emphatically that he is "innocent of this charge." 

Feinstein asked her how she could be sure it was Kavanaugh and not someone else who assaulted her in the bedroom of a home in a Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C.

Ford said, "The same way I am sure I am talking to you right now."

Feinstein said: "So what you are telling us is this could not be a case of mistaken identity."

Ford's response: "Absolutely not."

Because she is both a psychology professor and research, Ford used science and process language to answer many questions. Observers noted she was acting as both witness and expert, recounting her own experience and then giving context.

Many senators talked, pontificated and asked questions during the four-hour testimony, but no new revelations came out during the hearing. 

Meanwhile, in the Bay Area, several rallies were planned, all in support of Ford. At noon, an "Oakland #WeBelieve Protest" organized by Bay Resistance is scheduled outside the federal building to protest Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court, which includes painting a 50-foot mural. In San Francisco at the same time, the Refuse Fascism group is also holding a protest at Montgomery and Market streets.  At 6 p.m., a similar rally organized by By Any Means Necessary is planned for UC Berkeley at Sproul Plaza.

And in Ford's hometown, of Palo Alto Calif., supporters threw an "Our Community #Beleives Christine Rally"  outside City Hall. “We gather together to publicly support Christine, and show we believe she is speaking the truth,” said Linda Henigin, an organizer of the event. “Our community stands behind her, and applauds her courage in testifying in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee."

There were no known public events in the Bay Area to support Kavanaugh.

READ: Brett Kavanaugh says accusations are from "Twilight Zone" 

Republicans have derided Ford's allegation as part of a smear campaign and a Democratic plot to sink Kavanaugh's nomination. But after more allegations have emerged, some GOP senators have allowed that much is riding on Kavanaugh's performance.

At the hearing, two Republicans said Ford's allegations haven't been substantiated.

For South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, "It's not about, 'Do I believe her?'" but whether the sexual assault allegation from when Ford and Kavanaugh were teenagers is corroborated.

He said: "Is his denial any less believable than her allegation?"

Texas Sen. John Cornyn added that "you need more than an accusation for evidence. You need corroboration. That's what's missing here."

The hearing is the first time the country saw and heard from the 51-year-old Ford, who holds two masters degrees and a PhD from the University of Southern California and is a wife and mother of two boys.

Ford's opening statements mirrored the testimony released in advance of the hearing, where she said she was appearing only because she felt it was her duty. She said what's happened to her after going public 11 days ago has been worse than she ever imagined. She said she has been the target of vile harassment and even death threats. Someone even hacked into her work email last week, she said, and sent out an email recanting her allegations. 

The stakes for both political parties - and the country - are high. Republicans are pushing to seat Kavanaugh before the November midterms, when Senate control could fall to the Democrats and a replacement Trump nominee could have even greater difficulty. Kavanaugh's ascendance to the high court could help lock in a conservative majority for a generation, shaping dozens of rulings on abortion, regulation, the environment and more.

But Republicans also risk rejection by female voters in November if they are seen as not fully respecting women and their allegations.

READ: Christine Blasey Ford's testimony 

In the hours before the hearing, Republicans were rocked by the new accusation from a third woman, Julie Swetnick. In a sworn statement, she said she witnessed Kavanaugh "consistently engage in excessive drinking and inappropriate contact of a sexual nature with women in the early 1980s." Her attorney, Michael Avenatti, who also represents a porn actress who is suing Trump, provided her sworn declaration to the Judiciary Committee.

Meanwhile, the lawyer for Deborah Ramirez, who says Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a party when they attended Yale University, raised her profile in a round of television interviews.

On Wednesday, Kavanaugh said these latest allegations are also false, comparing them to the "Twilight Zone." 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell all week has said Republicans will turn to a committee vote on Kavanaugh after the hearing.

They hope for a roll call by the full Senate - where they have a scant 51-49 majority - early next week with the aim of getting him on the court as its new term begins.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.