CODEPINK Crashes the RNC



 
CODEPINK ejected from RNC during Bush speech 

Third night in a row inside the convention. Father whose son was killed in Iraq and others also dragged out.

As George W. Bush gave his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday night, Jodie Evans of CODEPINK: Women for Peace revealed a pink slip underneath her dress which read,"Fire Bush! Women Say Bring the Troops Home Now!" She was dragged out of the RNC. Earlier in the evening, Jorge Medina, whose son was killed in the Iraq war, was ejected from the convention for wearing a t-shirt with his son's photo on it and the words, "Bush Lied, My Son Died."Two other anti-war activists were also dragged out of the convention. One of their banners read, "Bush Lied, People Died." Another read, "Strong but Wrong." This is the third night in a row that CODEPINK activists have brought anti-war messages inside the RNC during prime-time speeches.

 
500,000 Say No to the Bush Agenda
The largest protest ever held at a political convention.

 



 
Women For Peace Not Welcome in NYC
Four women peace activists arrested in front of mayoral "NYC welcomes the protesters" press conference. Read Press Release.



 





Messages from the Crashers

Live from New York City at the close of the Republican National Convention, We're writing to report some amazing news that may not have come across on your television screens: the peace and justice movement in the United States is not only alive and well, it is bursting with energy, boldness and creativity in a way that has surpassed all of our expectations. And we don't think we'd be exaggerating by saying that CODEPINK, the group with the audacity to  interrupt George W. Bush's acceptance speech inside the RNC two times (!!!), was in the  forefront of the week's events. We were, literally, everywhere.                                                                                                      AP Photo

The streets of New York this week were really something to behold.
Day after day, thousands of people from every walk of life made it their business to send a message around the world that we oppose the war in Iraq and the Bush agenda, and that we are building a formidable justice and peace movement. Starting on Saturday night at the historic Riverside Church, CODEPINK's Women Against War event was bursting at the seams. A cheering crowd of at least '500 people watched Amy Goodman, Eve Ensler, Aya De Leon, Noe Veneble, Reno, Pamela Means, Alix Olson, the Guerilla Girls, and the young women of We Got Issues put on a          phenomenal program that left everyone feeling uplifted and inspired.                                             AP Photo

The highlight of the evening was the awards ceremony at which we gave Pink Badges of Courage to Norma Castillo, the mother of Camilo Mejia, an Iraq War Veteran who was sentenced to one year in prison for refusing to return there to fight; Kelly Dougherty, an Iraq war veteran who helped found the group Iraq Veterans Against War; Fernando Suarez del Solar, whose son Jesus del Solar was killed in the Iraq war; Col. Ann Wright, a former ambassador and diplomat who resigned her post in March 2003 in protest against the Bush administrations war plans; and Leslie Cagan, the national coordinator of United for Peace and Justice.

Sunday was a day we will never forget. At the 500,000-person strong United for Peace and Justice march against the Bush agenda,  CODEPINK had one of the most beautiful contingents. We marched with women from all different organizations (MADRE, National Organization for Women, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, and others) and were an absolute vision in pink: '00 pink statues of liberty, pink doves made of paper mache, and, of course, women wearing and carrying pink slips. Most of us had never seen so many people in our entire lives. We felt honored to march with the people from New York  and people who'd streamed in from all over the country - mothers, fathers, grandparents, teachers, students,veterans, artists, business people, military  families, labor unions, and so many others. On the eve of the RNC, we did what we said we would do: we upstaged the Republican National Convention with a message of peace and justice!

Every single day for the rest of the week, CODEPINK organized amazing actions and participated in the actions of other groups. Out on the streets, CODEPINK seemed to be everywhere - in front of the Texas delegates' hotel wearing pig snouts and rolling around in money to protest a   Halliburton-sponsored breakfast; in Central Park creating an aerial human  image of a pink statue of liberty with a tear in her eye; outside Fox News giving Bill O'Reilly  a taste of his own medicine by yelling "Shut Up"; at the George Bush appearance in Queens on Wednesday night wearing pink slips with the message "Bush Lied, Fire Him"; handing " Welcome peaceful New York police" buttons to police officers; and bringing a pink presence to the poor people's march, labor rally, NOW rally, and dozens of other events.

But we weren't just "on the outside," we were also INSIDE the Convention Itself - three nights in a row!!! Despite the massive security surrounding the Convention, we managed to bring an anti-war, anti-Bush message to the heart of the Republican leadership itself. On Tuesday night, Medea Benjamin of CODEPINK unfurled a pink banner that said "Be Pro-Life: Stop the Killing in Iraq" during Arnold Schwarzeneggar's speech, and within shouting distance of Dick Cheney, chastised the Vice President for war profiteering in Iraq. The next night, co-founder Gael Murphy interrupted Dick Cheney's speech when she revealed her pink slip saying "Cheney's in bed with Halliburton and we got screwed," while Tiffany Burns unfurled a banner reading "Cheney and Halliburton: Making a Killing in Iraq."

The grand finale came Thursday night during the final acceptance speech of George Bush himself. While many Code Pink members were gathered in a New York bar watching Bush on television, we looked up to see two incredibly brave women from CODEPINK - co-founder Jodie Evans and San Francisco activist June Brashares - being dragged off the floor for revealing their anti-war pink slip and sign saying "Bush Lied, People Die." As we write, Jodie and June are still in jail but deserve a heros welcome when they're released!

With all of our hearts, we thank the people of New York and the people from all over the country that made the RNC protest week a truly historic event. You all deserve pink badges of courage. After you get some rest during this long weekend, we look forward to seeing you at our upcoming actions and hearing about what you have planned in your own communities. Congratulations!

An open Letter to the Media: Concerning the Illegal Arrests and Detentions During the RNC.  From CODEPINK Activist Sheri Myers

AN OPEN LETTER TO MEDIA COVERING THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION An open letter signed by reps from peace and justice groups


Press from the RNC