San Francisco activists protest Trump's SCOTUS pick

Protests were held across the country, including the Bay Area, in response to the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S.Supreme Court. 

Trump announced Kavanaugh as his pick on Monday, a man who GOP senators and other conservatives praised for his academic record and commitment to religious liberty.

But the pick did not sit well with liberals.

"No fascist Supreme Court, Trump and Pence have got to go," chanted a dozen demonstrators outside San Francisco's Federal Building. 

The hastily called protest was held by Refuse Fascism, a national group that formed in 2016 to oppose Trump politics and policies.

"If slavery was going on in this country, would we say, 'Oh let's wait until November and we can vote it out?' " said participant Reiko Redmond, speaking into a bullhorn. 

Critics believe Kavanaugh's stated conservatism will take the nation backward on issues such as legal abortion, gay rights, health care, immigration, and the environment. 

"You know what he's mostly famous for?" said speaker Christina Di Edoardo, "voting against the EPA's ability to regulate greenhouse gases ." 

Di Edoardo notesd that upholding abortion rights is a key issue, but she has other objections as well. 

"Judge Kavanaugh has also been on record saying the president has the right to fire the special counsel and that may not be an academic question." 

With protests in a dozen cities, the largest was in Washington, D.C. where hundreds of people rallied on the steps of the high court. 

"I want to join with everybody now, this fight is not over this day is not done," declared New Jersey Senator Cory Booker to the crowd. "We stand strong, and we stand together."

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders also challenged activists.  

"Are you ready for a fight ? Are you ready to defend Roe versus Wade?" he posed, to loud cheers.  

With eleven weeks, the average time between nomination and confirmation, critics are calling for protests on the scale of the Women's March, or those held to oppose the Muslim ban at airports, or more recently family separation among migrants.  

"We the people have to get out, refuse to accept this, and find ways outside normal channels," said Refuse Fascism organizer Barry Thornton. "We're talking about a non-violence massive political mobilization, that's what's needed now, and there's seeds of that already." 

Protestor Reiko Redmond was even more vehement. 

"Stop agonizing about it, and don't waste time calling senators," she implored, " get off the phone, and get into the streets!"