'Stop Kavanaugh' rally in Raleigh ahead of Friday's key confirmation vote

RALEIGH, N..C (WTVD) -- Armed with a banner reading, #STOPKAVANAUGH, protesters loudly chanted, "Unfit" on Halifax Mall with hopes Washington would hear their roar.

The protesters were organized by political action groups largely aligned with Democrats. All of them stand opposed to confirming Brett Kavanaugh as the nation's next Supreme Court justice.

All of the speakers were women who say they believe Christine Blasey Ford's allegation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her as a teenager. On the eve of the Senate's first votes on the nomination, they argued that confirming Kavanaugh sends a message that survivors of sexual assault don't matter.

"I'm 17 years old. You're telling my peers that assaulting me would be a laughable story over a couple of beers," said a high school student who addressed the crowd of more than 100.

Meantime in Washington D.C., U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, held a news conference with fellow Republicans. Tillis told reporters he has read the new FBI report ordered by The White House and is still a firm yes to confirm Kavanaugh.

"I also wanna say that Dr. Ford I firmly believe experienced a traumatic event in her life. I just also believe that there's no evidence that we've seen through the FBI background checks, the time in the hearing, to substantiate these claims and directed towards Judge Kavanaugh," Tillis said.

An aide for Tillis told ABC11 that the senator spent about three hours Thursday reading and re-reading the FBI's confidential findings which were submitted Thursday morning.

Back in Raleigh, demonstrators pledged to remember this moment come November's midterm elections.

"It's not just about believing survivors of sexual abuse. It's not just about believing Christine Blasey Ford. Because they believe her. We all believe her. They just don't care," said Molly Rivera with ACLU of North Carolina.

The rally on Halifax Mall also served as a voter registration drive.