We had an exciting week in Boston at the Democratic National Convention (DNC). After a weekend of leading CODEPINK training sessions and spending time with thousands of peace and justice activists at the Boston Social Forum and the National Vets for Peace Convention, we made our way to the DNC. Each day, from the early morning until the wee hours of the night, we galvanized and organized so as not to let the convention render the war in Iraq completely invisible.

We delivered the message to the DNC that they should join the pro-peace majority and adopt an anti-war position on Iraq. We hung a huge pink slip banner out a hotel window to highlight the message "Bring the Troops Home, NOW!" We dressed as pink statues of liberty with tape over our mouths to object to the 'protest pen', a cage designated as the convention's "Free Speech Zone", made of tall wrought iron fencing and barbed wire. We distributed stickers to delegates that reminded them that 82% of democrats oppose the war. We fought hard to ensure that the police didn't remove our banners, which were hung around the city.

We organized a press conference to urge Kerry and the Democratic leadership to set a timeline for the withdrawl of troops from Iraq that featured Kelly Dougherty, an Iraq war vet, and Fernando Suarez, whose son was one of the first soldiers to die in Iraq. Police came to take down our banner. We stood our ground and as Fernando and others struggled to keep our banner up, Fernando asked, "is this the freedom of speech my son died for?"

Inside the convention, our anti-war message was received with delight and gratitude. Ninety five percent of the convention delegates oppose the Iraq war, but, even so, our own Medea Benjamin was carried off the convention floor after holding up a pink banner with the message "End the occupation of Iraq" just as Theresa Heinz was calling for women's voices and all voices of dissent to be heard.

photos: Orin Langelle/Global Justice Ecology Project