Far-right conspiracy theorist Jacob Wohl interrupted a peaceful pro-choice protest outside the Supreme Court in Washington DC on Friday night.
Hours after the court announced that it was overturning the landmark abortion rights legislation Roe v Wade, Wohl and fellow right-wing agitator Jack Burkman arrived at the protest with megaphones.
While Burkman played police siren noises, Wohl repeatedly told women, “The protest is over, it’s time to go home.” He then said that “most of you here won’t have to worry about getting abortions anyway,” adding that he thought the women gathered were “ugly” and “morbidly obese”.
Pro-choice protesters chanted, “Goodbye” repeatedly in an effort to make the pair leave. One activist poured a bottle of water over Wohl’s head.
Wohl circled the protest a number of times. He was escorted away from the scene by police and by anti-violence activists, only to return again. He told The Independent that women “belong in the kitchen” and that he had come to the protest to “educate people”. He added that he was a part of an organization called “Project 1599”.
Project 1599 was dismissed as a “sham organization” by the New York Attorney General in 2021, when Wohl and Burkman were accused of “orchestrating robocalls to threaten and harass Black communities through disinformation”. Taking legal action against the pair, Attorney General Letitia James said, “Wohl and Burkman used misinformation to try to disenfranchise Black communities ahead of the election, in a clear attempt to sway the election in the favor of their preferred presidential candidate.” Wohl faces a $5 million fine from the FCC for these actions.
Wohl allegedly tried to convince a college student to participate in a smear campaign against Democratic presidential candidate and current administration member Pete Buttigieg in 2019. He has repeatedly courted controversy and faced ridicule, including in November 2021 when he suggested that all Jewish Americans should put up Christmas decorations because “it’s called assimilation. America is a Christian country”.
Wohl’s appearance at protests in Washington DC was unexpected but not surprising. When Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, he interrupted mourners outside the Supreme Court with a personal celebration. His ongoing bans from all mainstream social media mean that few know when he is going to turn up to an event. He told The Independent that he believes equal marriage should also be overturned, but not interracial marriage as “people can’t help what race they’re born”.
When asked if he would support abortion in cases of rape, he said that women in that situation should “speak to their priest or rabbi”.
