seandotpolitics:

On the steps of the Supreme Court Building, soft cries and the low murmur of chirping crickets filled the air as hundreds of people grieved the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Occasionally short bursts of clapping broke out before the crowd resumed its silence (at points they sang “Amazing Grace,” “America the Beautiful,” and “Imagine” by the Beatles).

Surrounded by family in her home in the District, Ginsburg died from complications related to pancreatic cancer on Friday at the age of 87. She was the second woman appointed to the Supreme Court and spent 27 years on the bench. She was a champion for gender equality and one of few remaining liberal voices on the court.

Shawn Boykins, 35, said a friend texted him about the news as soon as it happened. He was in the neighborhood and thought to visit the Supreme Court to pay his respects.

“I can’t help but think about the political implications, but I’m trying to set that aside,” Boykins said. “It just reinforces that a lot’s at stake in the election with so much happening, with the fires, climate change, and everything.”