FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 18, 2013

Contact:

Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK Co-director, (415) 235-6517, medea@codepink.org

Alli McCracken, CODEPINK National Coordinator, (860) 575-5692, alli@codepink.org

CODEPINK CALLS FOR END TO DRONES AND GUN VIOLENCE AT INAUGURAL EVENTS

Washington DC— During inaugural weekend in Washington DC, members of the women-led peace group CODEPINK from all over the country will be staging multiple actions to highlight and call for an end to all violence, especially caused by guns and drones. With creative visuals and flashy dance moves, the CODEPINK contingent will spread its message of peace: Arms are for Hugging!

“I traveled all the way from New Mexico to Washington DC for inauguration weekend because I feel that as American citizens we have a responsibility to bring a message of peace and anti-violence to President Obama,” said Josie Lenwell, a member of CODEPINK from Taos, New Mexico. “We're delighted the President is pushing for gun control, but we also need 'drone control.' We must pressure the President to abandon his current war policies and pursue a peace platform that reallocates our resources into the needs of Americans, not the Pentagon budget,” she added.

Below is a list of events where CODEPINK will be present, with continual updates being posted on www.codepink.org/inauguration2013. Protest participants and organizers are available for interviews.

Saturday, January 19th:

9:30 am: CODEPINK will have a contingent on the National Mall to welcome out-of-towners to the National Day of Service event. We'll be meeting at the entrance of the giant National Service tent on the mall and greeting people with our Can-can dance and Arms Are For Hugging message! Activists will be in bright costumes with heart-shaped signs with messaging on them.

4:00 pm - 6:00 pm: CODEPINK will join Jewish Voice for Peace for a "No Blank Check for Israel" rally and candlelight procession to the White House. Rally at Farragut Square (Connecticut Ave., 17th and K Streets, NW) followed by candlelight procession to 17th and Pennsylvania Avenue, one block from the White House.

Sunday, January 20th:

12:00 noon: CODEPINK will host a dance/rise up action to speak out against violence in conjunction with the One Billion Rising campaign, Union Station (in Washington DC). We will sing and dance through the train station with the message "Yes we CAN-CAN" end war and violence against women! After the dances we will freeze for a few minutes and then do a hug-in, because Arms are for Hugging.

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm: Council for a Liveable World Ball and the Center for Nuclear Arms Control Inaugural Celebration: Phoenix Park Hotel, 520 North Capitol Street, NW. We'll be outside with our message that it's time to end drone warfare; visuals include anti-drone banners and a giant drone model.

Monday, January 21st:

9:00 am - 10:00 am: Arc of Justice Coalition rally at Meridian Hill Park (Malcolm X Park), then march begins at 10:00 and proceeds down 16th Street NW to K Street NW. CODEPINK will be a part of the contingent to oppose President Obama's drone warfare. 

8:30 pm - 9:30 pm: Commander-in-Chief Ball, Washington Convention Center. CODEPINK will be protesting violence, especially drone strikes, with a giant drone model and lots of banners.

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