VIDEO BLOG: CODEPINK inside Senate Appropriations Hearing on Iraq War Funding

This is a clip of CODEPINKers yelling "SHAME" to the witnesses testifying before Senator Byrd's Appropriation Committee hearing on the 2008 fiscal year defense spending for Iraq





This is a very short sample of the signs CODEPINK held up behind Secretary of State Gates in the September 26th Senate Appropriations hearing.




This is juust a short clip of a CODEPINK Woman from Texas who was holding up a sign behind Deputy Secretary of State Negroponte in the Senate Approriations hearing on Iraq War funding September 26th, 2007.




On Wednesday September 26th, 2007 CODEPINK people from around the country were kicked out of the Senate Appropriations hearing after holding anti-war signs up behind the witnesses. (more)

Account of Assault on Carlos Arredondo by CODEPINK woman who witnessed the incident

After the [September 15th] march, I was coming out of the porta-potties and wanted to sit in the shade because I was tuckered out. I saw Carlos walking slowly by, pulling his memorial to his son Alexander, which consists of a flag-draped coffin, Alexander’s boots, and a large photo of Alexander. He was holding a flagpole with a U.S. flag flying upside-down, which I took to be a symbol of distress.

Carlos saw me and waved; I waved back or flashed him a peace sign.

What happened next happened so fast it was surreal. I hadn’t realized that there was a counterprotest by the so-called Gathering of Eagles, a pro-war group that travels to counterprotest wherever anti-war activists gather.

Suddenly one of them rushed forward and snatched the portrait of Carlos’ son off the memorial. He then ran back to the safety of his mob group and tore Alexander’s photo to pieces. Quick as a wink, Carlos took off after that man and tried to get the photo back. Several members of the Gathering of Eagles then assaulted him en masse, beating and kicking him. It was a brutal attack.

A crowd had gathered around; I called Terri from NC who was resting at the lower end of the Capitol lawn and told her there was a fight, but I don’t think she realized where I was calling from and thought I was referring to the die-in arrests taking place further up the hill. She urged me to get away from the fight and join her on the lawn.

Before I left, I saw the Capitol Police arrive, including a female police officer on a bicycle. I looked up, and on the fringes of the crowd, I saw two tall, handsome men who were perched above somehow and were videotaping the whole scene. I hope they’ll come forward to give their videotapes to Carlos or to the police.

Knowing the circumstances of the death of Carlos’ son, I naturally started to cry and I turned and left for the safety of the lawn. I heard a man scream at Carlos, “That’s not your son—that’s an empty casket!” (What an idiot….) I also recall that as the crowd was beating Carlos, a young man with yellow, spiky hair was screaming, “They tore up his son’s photo! They tore up his son’s photo!”

Posted by Anne from North Carolina

VIDEO BLOG: Rally @ Capitol with Congressional Dems, CODEPINK, and Iraq Veterans Against the War

CODEPINK joined Iraq Veterans Against the War and other autonomous individuals at the Democratic Congressional rally in Upper Senate park. Featuring Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Dick Durbin, John Lewis, Carl Levin, Jan Shakowsky and a variety of other Senators and Representatives.

This short video clip shows how the People spoke up for impeachment and an end to the Iraq War during the speeches of Senator Reid and Speaker of the House Pelosi.

Why I Don’t Support Hillary Clinton for President

Kit Kimberly

(please note that this is a personal opinion and does not reflect any position held by CodePink Women for Peace)

At the Take Back America breakfast yesterday morning, I got to see Hillary Clinton close up, in person, for the first time. Although I have not supported her since she began this campaign, to see a woman approaching the podium as one of the leading presidential candidates brought tears to my eyes. Twenty-five years ago, when I was first beginning my feminist journey, I could never have foreseen a woman and a black man as leading candidates in the US. That they are there is a credit to the people of the US. That they are who they are—I believe, products of a corporate, corrupt political machine—is due to the lack of true democracy and triumph of hypocrisy in this society.

Hillary Clinton, of course, spoke of issues that warm the hearts of all progressives. She set up a clear barrier between “us” (Democrat-supporting progressives—is that an oxymoron?) and “them” (the war-mongering, corrupt, corporate-controlled Bush administration). She called for all the issues on the Democratic platform: national health, a living wage, end to the war in Iraq (last on her list, but that may have been because of the expected, protracted support for that topic), affordable education from pre-school through higher ed, a decent wage for the working class—in short, everything that every Democratic candidate supports. She personalized her speech with the story of Lilly Ledbetter, the woman who was paid less than men for 20 years as a supervisor at Firestone, then was told by the Supreme Court that it was too late for her to receive compensation.

One of the non-“bumpersticker” (credit to John Edwards) truths, as I perceive it, that she mentioned was that US people are the “hardest working in the world.” As Dan Savage points out in his book Skipping Towards Gomorrah, US people work hardest of any in the industrial world (more about this distinction later, OK, Medea?). Folks in this country work more hours (and more jobs), take shorter, fewer vacations (minimum mandatory vacations in every other industrialized nation begin at three weeks), and produce more per capita. And where has it gotten us? We’re have the highest addiction, depression, suicide and violence rates of any society in the Western world. We’re over our heads in debt, our houses are being foreclosed on, and our economy is in shambles (a fact that, by the way, seems not to have reached the mainstream media at all. The US dollar is worth less in the world than it has been since the Great Depression. Why is no one worried about this?) I really don’t see why this “hard work” is something to be so proud of, since it doesn’t seem to have made us personally or societally very happy or well-balanced.

At this statement, however, she—and I—were immediately shot down by Medea, who reminded me of the 2/3 of the world we call "developing". In retrospect, it seems a shame to me that Ms Clinton (I will always call her “Ms”— I’d call her Ms Rodham but then no one would know who I was talking about!) didn’t tie in her Lilly Ledbetter story with the story of working women all over the world: Women, who make up 52% of the population and do 2/3 to ¾ of all the work in the world (in the Third World, women rise at 3 or 4 am to begin to carry water for the work they will do all day; in the vast majority of places, men do next to nothing while women do all the planting, caretaking, harvesting, production, slaughtering and processing of food and other goods, as well as “traditional” women’s work of childcare and homemaking); but they own less than 10% of the world’s wealth and less than 1% of the property.

And this, in a nutshell, is why I don’t support Hilary Clinton: Because she has chosen to side with the rich, almost all white, western, and male, power structure. Rather than build a campaign and coalition that reaches out, educates and empowers the majority of this country that is not the rich white male elite, she has joined their ranks. Now, whether or not they will ever accept her as one of their own is a question I have no desire to address. Some say they did Margaret Thatcher, but the way they treated her at the end of her term says otherwise. My point is that I’m not going to support a woman, just because she is a woman, if she isn’t addressing my concerns.

Now, to be fair, I’m sure that Ms Clinton affected President Mr. Clinton’s politics and policies. I argue that Bill Clinton is the best president women ever had, simply because he was the first to put women in visible positions of power—and in such a way that there was no going back. Do you really believe GW Bush’s cabinet and administration would be as diverse as it is if not for Bill Clinton's opening of doors that could never be shut? Sometimes I think I’m being too hard on the Ms, that I expect more of women—well, that’s probably true. I do expect more of women because for the most part, when I look around me, I see women giving, doing, being much more.

Until he said, in response to a possible attack on Iran, that “no options are off the table,” I supported John Edwards’ candidacy. I like the way his wife is his partner in what seems like every way; I like that he’s from North Carolina (as am I); I like that he went to work for the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity after a failed bid for vice president; and I like that he’s taken a strong stand against the Iraq war since he apologized for voting for it in the Senate (see http://femifesta.blogspot.com/) But it comes down to this: If their platforms sound exactly the same, and their way of addressing the issues similar, and their treatment of their constituents and audiences unvarying, then the candidate’s gender or color makes no difference to me. If I were to support Hillary Clinton just because she’s a woman, or Barack Obama just because he’s black, wouldn’t that make me as sexist or racist as the rich white male elite who’ve worked so hard to keep us all under control for so long?

CODEPINK to Hillary and Nancy: Lead Us Out of Iraq Now!

This morning at the Take Back America conference when Senator Hillary Clinton took the stage CODEPINKers held up pink signs reading "Lead Us Out of Iraq Now!" and pleaded with the senator to bring our troops home now, to be a leader in ending the occupation of Iraq. While Hillary made some great promises about offering universal healthcare and ensuring a preschool education for every American child, and reiterated that she voted no on the last Supplemental spending bill to appropriate funds to the war, without her leadership on actually bringing our troops home with a full and immediate troop withdrawal, it remains unclear where funds would come from for these excellent domestic programs, and how we can move forward as a nation. Hillary's commentary about the Iraq war included a commentary about how the US has liberated Iraq from Saddam, helped hold democratic elections, and installed the Iraqi government. Her commentary seemed to blame Iraq for the ongoing violence, which in turn was met with loud boos from the audience. Hillary walked a careful talk today, but it was not convincing to many in the audience, who feel the only way that trust in Hillary could be restored is through her actions to end the war, not her rhetoric. As an aside, Hillary asserted that the US is the oldest democracy. I seem to remember something about Athens appearing in a school textbook. Hillary also stated that the US has the hardest working population in the world. To me, that kind of hubris does not inspire the kind of patriotism I feel for this country and the global community.

CODEPINK protested at Hillary's talk at the Take Back America conference last year as well. This year our message was a proactive one: Hillary, be a leader and bring our troops home! Take action NOW to end the war!

Nancy Pelosi made some excellent comments about listening to young people in this country, who are agitated, don't believe elected officials will take action, and are fed up with the government. She spoke about meeting with people and having dialogues. I asked her to meet with us in San Francisco, as she has yet to meet with the anti-war movement in district. Because we have not be able to meet with her, we've been camping outside her doorstep! Nancy made some excellent points about green jobs and about the need to bring our troops home, and we would like to believe that she will stick to her word--we know that she, as Speaker of the House, can do more to end the US occupation of Iraq, and that's why we were in the audience today with our pink signs and loud voices for peace, demanding that these elected officials lead us out of Iraq!

Senator Lieberman & Peaceful Conflict Resolution

By Marcia Jansen

To see a slideshow of photos of CODEPINK's action at Senator Lieberman's office, click here.

To see a slideshow of Leslie's photos from Iran, click here.

What resulted from Senator Joseph Lieberman's cancellation yesterday of
a scheduled meeting with Leslie Angeline, and other members of CODEPINK,
to discuss his recent remarks on CBS' "Face the Nation", that "…we've
got to be prepared to take aggressive military action against the
Iranians…", was a microcosm of the very dynamic we had come to protest,
the belief that ultimately you must use force to resolve conflict, and
our call for a diplomatic resolution of the conflict with Iran.

Senator Lieberman's cancellation of yesterday's scheduled meeting was an
acting out of the very U.S. policy which leads to war, death and
destruction – the refusal to talk to those with whom you disagree,
refusal to talk to your opponents, your enemy.

What followed Senator Lieberman's refusal to talk with us, demonstrates
the power of a willingness to be open – a willingness to talk to one
another.

Sixty people, from around the country, including leaders from the
Iranian community, came to Senator Lieberman's office at the original
meeting time of 4:30 p.m., yesterday afternoon. After all sixty of us
completely filled the reception area of Senator Lieberman's office,
Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODEPINK, again asked that Senator
Lieberman meet with us, as originally scheduled, and recounted the
series of events that led up to the cancellation of the meeting.

The receptionist in Senator Lieberman's office kept insisting that we
leave and we kept insisting on meeting with Senator Lieberman. Finally,
we were given a warning by a member of the Capitol police to leave or
face arrest.

Then the phone rang. The receptionist answered the phone, left her desk
and went into another room. She returned with Senator Lieberman's chief
of staff who again told us the meeting had been cancelled and said we
must leave.

Leslie Angeline began to talk about her recent travels in Iran and the
beautiful people she met, and in a very emotional plea begged the United
States not bomb the people of Iran, 70% who are under the age of 30.

Senator Lieberman's chief of staff was visibly touched by Leslie's plea.
When Leslie was finished speaking, Medea Benjamin asked the chief of
staff if there was a high ranking staff member who would meet with a
delegation from the group. What resulted from that request was a
meeting which lasted over an hour with three members from our group and
Senator Lieberman's chief of staff, legislative director, and an aide on
the Middle East.

Yesterday we came to Senator Lieberman's office to advocate for a
resolution of the conflict with Iran, through diplomacy not war. What
subsequently played out in Senator Lieberman's office was a powerful
example that conflicts can be resolved peacefully.

The conflict yesterday, in Senator Lieberman's office, was resolved
through the power of persistence, words, good will, the power of
humanity and a willingness, on the part of everyone involved, to be open
and respectful of one another, a willingness to come face to face, a
willingness to negotiate and compromise and come to some agreement, some
understanding.

The principles and values that brought about the peaceful resolution to
the conflict yesterday in Senator Lieberman's office are the same
principles and values that can bring about a diplomatic resolution to
the conflict with Iran.

CODEPINK Strikes Again: Targets Senate Re Gonzales No Confidence Vote and Joseph Lieberman for His Call to Bomb Iran

CODEPINK was out in full peaceful force on Capitol Hill today at the following two fantastic actions:

Senate No Confidence on Gonzales Vote
Starting at 10am, CODEPINK visited every Senate office handing them copies of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales dressed in a “pink slip” with a message "Pink Slip Gonzales: Vote No Confidence." Check out the great graphic that Phillip, a current DC house resident who came to DC from NYC for the Peace Surge, created for us to give to senators:
We went through the Senate office buildings dressed in orange Guantanamo-style jumpsuit and pink slips. CODEPINK also held its daily vigil outside the Justice Department at 12 noon calling for Gonzales to resign.


Senator Joe Lieberman: Don't Bomb Iran!
Outraged by Lieberman’s comments on CBS on Sunday about wanting to bomb Iran, CODEPINK went to his office at 1:30pm to demand that he retract his call for a military attack on Iran. We sung a new version of "Don't Bomb Iran" and met with the office scheduler. We'll be back and will keep up a presence until Lieberman meets with up. Leslie Angeline, an activist from California who recently traveled to Iran on a Global Exchange delegation, is beginning a hunger strike to ask Lieberman to meet with her and rescind his comment about attacking Iran. More about Leslie in an upcoming blog! Check out photos from the office visit below:

Learning to Walk the Walk: Taking Responsibility

by Kit Kimberly

This weekend, in addition to the first incoming group for the CodePink Peace Surge Summer Trainings, Gay Pride parade and End the Occupation of Palestine march, is the Taming the Giant Corporation conference, sponsored by Ralph Nader. It began Friday, and CodePink has a table with T-shirts, information and a sign-up sheet. Friday night, I told Medea I’d like to staff the table on Saturday; “Great,” she said, “it starts at 9.”

I am up by 7:30, writing and catching up on email, waiting for Medea and whomever else is going to the conference. At about 9:15 I find her in the kitchen. “You slept late,” I say, smiling—goddess knows, she deserves it if anyone does. “Yeah, well, I thought you were going to be at the table at the conference,” she says, clearly annoyed. “There’s no one there now.”

Oops. I hadn’t realized that I was expected to go by myself—it sounds childish; but it gives me a bit of insight into yet another difference between the CodePink mentality and that of much of the rest of US society. At CodePink, the driving forces are personal responsibility and “ownership”—not as in the kind of possessing and controlling that the Nader conference challenges, but as in taking an idea, an action, a belief, and going with it whether or not others are involved. It’s kind of the opposite of the lemming mentality that seems to have affected so many people and institutions in this country—most notably (and dangerously) the US congress. At the last Democratic debate, John Edwards challenged the two presidential front-runners, Clinton and Obama, on their late, though correct, nay-votes on the Iraq supplemental funding bill. Senator Dodd, Edwards said, showed the kind of leadership Congress needs by announcing what his vote would be and challenging others to vote with him. Clinton and Obama (though he didn’t call them by name until pressured by Wolf Blitzer) waited until the last minute, then quietly cast their no votes. I agree with Edwards that this kind of opportunism is not what we need in this country right now; we need leadership and people willing to stand up for and defend their beliefs—whether people agree with us or not.

So rather than apologize and bow and scrape to Medea, I just throw myself together as quickly as possible and dash out the door behind her and Liz. We catch the X2; the bus isn’t crowded and we’re quiet, Medea reading the paper, Liz scoping the landscape, I trying to figure out how to recover from my screw up. As we approach Lafayette Park, however, a sight grabs our attention and that of everyone on the bus: Beside a tent under a lush green canopy of trees stands a man by a bicycle… as I admire his bare chest and well-muscled arms, my gaze moves naturally down his body to his equally toned and attractive …naked!?! buttocks; as we get closer, I realize he is completely nude. Well, except for a condom on his reasonably well-endowed (ie, certainly visible) member. The other passengers pick up on the sight and there is a sudden, massive migration to the right side of the bus—it lurches heavily; if it were a boat, it would capsize. I note one or two other naked men milling around the park and another coming out of a smallish white tent with a logo saying USA. The bus stops and everyone gets off except us—whether this is actually their stop or they're going to satisfy their prurient curiosity, I don’t know. I chuckle to myself—having lived for many years in Europe, I find the US shock and fascination with nudity rather silly; but even I have to admit, this is a surprise. Whether it’s part of Gay Pride or some other event, we never find out.

We get off the bus at the end of the line and decide to walk the six blocks or so to 15th and P. I am uncharacteristically quiet, still recovering from Medea’s unspoken reprimand and trying to digest what it really means to be a fully-participating member of a movement rather than a follower of someone else’s ideology. I walk and listen to the two of them—Medea with her years of experience, a founder of Global Exchange, CodePink, and world-renown activist; Liz, who left her life and family behind to come to DC to stop the war, who spends every waking moment (and she hardly sleeps) researching, making banners, organizing, promoting, cheering others on—and perhaps most importantly, reaching out to every single person she comes into contact with, “Hi, I’m Liz. What’s your name?” and involving them in some way. They are two walking, talking embodiments of what I believe democracy should look like; I am content to shut up and listen.

We come to large stone building, modest in décor, and notice a row of black luxury cars and limousines parked in front. The drivers are dignified black men in sharp uniforms; Liz pops up, “Hello, Sir, what’s going on here?”

“Here we have the vice president of Guinea, who is visiting Washington for diplomatic purposes,” he tells her politely. Liz looks confused, but Medea immediately clarifies, asking, “Guinea Conakry?” clarifying a distinction I couldn’t even have imagined existed. The driver smiles broadly and immediately warms to her. This is how these women are so successful—they have been all over the world; they have an understanding and appreciation for different cultures (and cultural differences) that probably couldn’t be matched by combining the knowledge of half of Congress. I, who have for a number of years been one of (if not the) smartest persons in the room on matters of cross-cultural understanding and political realities, feel like a complete baby. Why aren’t these women running the world?

As we continue to the conference, Medea and Liz talk about pro-peace (versus anti-war) tactics. Liz’s primary goal is to get people active, on whatever level: “I ask them, ‘Do you call your senator? Do you take part in actions? Do you do anything besides complain?’ I try to work with them, but if they won’t do anything …” At 9:30 in the morning, the air is still moist and cool, but promises to be a typical DC summer day—clingily warm and humid.

Word in the house from people at the conference yesterday was that it was kind of boring, and people didn’t seem to be much into CodePink’s table and activities. But I find a pink sheet full of signatures and email addresses from interested folks; and the speaking hall is packed with eager listeners. In addition to the CodePink table, there are Fair Trade, Public Citizen, Coop America, WTO watchers and critics, and many others. (The CodePink table, with its bright pink shirts, buttons, stickers, books, and colorful staffers, is of course the most eye-catching one in the room.)

Ralph Nader is a long-time hero of mine—in the 80s, my first activist job was as a campus organizer with PIRG (Public Interest Research Group), a Nader-created organization, and I have been a fan ever since (yes, I voted for Nader in 2000, and make no apologies about it). He introduces the speakers—researchers, experts and policy makers from every area of corporate watch and pro-sustainability movements. At breaks, people come out into the reception area for coffee and bagels, and have a look at the tables. We get plenty of interest at the CodePink table—a mother and son pair, Mary and Bob from my home state of North Carolina. I’m thrilled to hear their accent and listen to their critiques of John Edwards—and sell them a T-shirt and couple of buttons. Billy, who works on Capitol Hill, stops by to express his admiration for CodePink’s direct tactics and his frustration with working “within the system.” He reckons it’s nearly time for him to come over to the activist side. Participants from other participating groups stop by also, to find out more about CodePink—many want T-shirts (note: we need more men’s sizes) and all sign up for the CodePink Alerts. Even though I have to leave early—around noon—we’ve already filled two complete sign up sheets. And my guilt at not being there right at 9 am is assuaged by noting that none of the other tables are constantly staffed (indeed, the Coop America table next to us has no staffer the whole time I’m there); and Sarah, a CodePink local, has been there keeping an eye on things since the conference opened this morning.

Still, I’ve learnt my lesson about ownership and responsibility—I’m not sure how to apply it all the time yet, but I will certainly take a more active stance in doing so. So thanks again to Medea, Liz, Desiree and all the other CodePink women for helping me grow and understand a little more, a little better, every day.

Dear Cindy by Deidra Lynch

Dear Cindy,
First and foremost, please let me thank you for all you have sacrificed, your son, your family and your life to help show America that this war is wrong. And it is so wrong. And the American public's apathy is so wrong. And those who have tried to tear you down are so wrong.

I agree with you as to where we are headed. Bush is becoming more Hitlerish each day. Our government's attitude towards the citizens has shifted so far to fascism that it amazes me how few are yet screaming. But folks are beginning to take notice. Three years ago, most people responded to that kind of statement from my mouth as ludicrous or at least over exaggerated. Now the reaction I get is not only that the "war is wrong", but that "our government is wrong"!

I read in your letter that you don't see folks as Republicans or as Democrats but what is in their hearts. I too am a "heart watcher" and your heart on Mother's Day while sitting on the grass with me was so pure and so true. But I felt your sadness, not only the sadness for your son and for your other three children not there with you, but your sadness for the other people that were NOT there that day, your sadness for the millions who just don't get that this war is so wrong.

But I believe there are a number of people that are beginning to wake up and realize that the only answer for our planet is peace. That the only solution to our World's existence is peace. That the only journey worth taking is creating a life of peace. There are old ones and young ones coming forward. A new kind of humanity that you have inspired, as have many others have before you, and along with you. There will always be those who try to create chaos but there are more of us joining daily who are willing to get past those differences and trouble makers. There is a new surge of activists on their way to carry on this work for peace.

You said in your letter that neither party can hear the other and so I will dare to repeat to you, what one of your adversaries said in reaction to your resignation. "Most of us... understand that she is hurt very deeply." and they hope that you "will now be able to heal". You have sacrificed so much Cindy, even the time that you should have had to heal from such a great loss. Please know that there are millions of us that love you, respect you and admire all that you have done. We will miss you and your heart but I believe we will see each other again, as I know you when you are truly needed, you will stand up for peace.

My little girl, Autumnrain was so proud to meet you and be there with you on Mother's Day in DC. She considers you a heroine, as do I. I'm not going to tell Autumnrain that you are resigning, I am going to tell her that you've gone home to rest and to heal. That you have served your time honorably, as did Casey and have fought the toughest of fights. But all tours must come to an end and so it's time for you to return home. Heal Cindy and be at peace.

Deidra Lynch CODEPINK Orlando

Seeing PINK on CSPAN!

Yesterday, several of us were in the Senate Armed services hearing in which Admiral O'Fallon, CENTCOM commander in the middle east was testifying. Us CODEPINKers wore our messages on our clothing as usual. There were also other activists with us including an Iraq vet and a military mother. We held signs eventhough one particular Capitol Policewoman kept taking them away form us. The Marine mom held up a picture of her son who had twice been deployed to Iraq and now suffers from Post Traumatic Stress... At least, the officer did not take that away. At one point when the cop was out of the room, one of us walked up about 4 feet behind the admiral and held a sign that said "END THE WAR" over her head. When the hearing went into reccess, we yelled that the "AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT TO END THE WAR IN IRAQ" and "BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW" etc... also, some people incuding the Iraq Vet went and tried to talk to the Admiral and to ask him to end the war soon.

SO... some of us stayed up late last night to watch it on CSPAN. It was a neat treat to see PINK in the background, especially when the CODEPINKer was standing behind the Admiral with her pink "END THE WAR" sign and "NO $ 4 WAR" on her shirt" - it seemed like she was standing there for ever.

Then, this morning we turned on CSPAN and saw a CODEPINK woman standing in the back of a Global Healtcare Budget hearing that was taped a couple days ago. She had a pink shirt with messages relating the need for healthcare funding rather than more money for war and occupation. It was a nice way to wake up!

Come to DC, and join us in a hearing or two... you can "speak truth to power" and have a little fun at the same time!!!

CODEPINK "prescription for peace" demo in halls of Congress

On Monday April 23rd, CODEPINK activists took a creative anti-war protest into the offices of all 23 House members on the Iraq War Supplemental. Some of us dressed up as doctors with nametags reading "American Voted MD" to deliver a "prescription for peace". Others had pink fabric signs safetypinned to our shirts with slogans like "CURES NOT WARS" and "WAR IS BAD MEDICINE". Later that day the representatives we visited would be gathering in the Capitol building as part of the conference committee that would meet to reconcile the House and senate versions of the 2007 Iraq War supplemental spending bill. So, we went into their offices and asked to talk to the Congressperson so we could check her or his heart. We split up into three groups in which the person wearing pink scrubs and a stethoscope (aka Dr. Voter MD) took the lead in talking to whoever would see us. We met with a chief of staff, several legislative aids, and many low level staffers throughout the day. Each time we would present them with a "Prescription for peace" that was attached to a toy soldier with pink ribbon.
To our surprise, Congressman Kingston (R-GA) aggreed to meet with us and personally accepted our "Prescription for peace"; he REALLY seemed to listen to us. We spent about 20 minutes discussing our differing philosophies regarding U.S. foreign policy. It was a fantastic dialogue!

We continued on delivering prescriptions most of the afternoon while being trailed by two to five Capitol Police as we moved throughout the public buildings which house Congressional offices. Afterward, Some of us stood outside at the entrance of where Congresspersons were entering the building to go to theconference committee hearing; a few people went into the Capitol but were not allowed into the hearing room despite it being publicized online as a "public hearing".

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO of our "Prescription for Peace" demonstration incuding some behind the scenes footage of CODEPINKers brainstorming and preparing for the action.