An Alexandria woman said she was removed from a talk featuring Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett at the National Book Festival in D.C. because she wore a “Handmaid’s Tale” costume.

Shawna Flener, a self-described “huge reader” with a TikTok following focused on books, attended the event Saturday. She said the costume was part of a silent statement in response to the conservative justice’s presence at the festival.

“I was very much looking forward to the festival, but a lot of people were upset, me included, about Amy Coney Barrett being there and being, you know, one of the featured authors,” Flener said.

While Flener said she was genuinely interested in hearing the justice speak, she also wanted to express a viewpoint through her attire — a red cloak and white bonnet inspired by

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