Code Pink

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Code Pink: Women for Peace is an anti-war group that started in the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq. They describe themselves as a "grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end the war in Iraq, stop new wars, and redirect our resources into healthcare, education and other life-affirming activities."^[1] Wearing their signature pink color,^[2] they have conducted marches, protests, and high-visibility publicity stunts in order to achieve their goals, earning criticism from President Bush and others. While the group is initiated and led by women, men are welcome to participate at both the local and national level. Code Pink states they have more than 250 chapters full worldwide. ^[3]

Contents 1 History 2 Activities 2.1 Past activities 2.2 Ongoing activities 3 Criticism 3.1 Demonstrations at Walter Reed Medical Center 3.2 Comment by George W. Bush 3.3 Stunt during Plame hearing 3.4 Tucker Carlson interview 4 References 5 External links

[edit] History

Code Pink began on October 2, 2002, and in November they launched a 4-month vigil in front of the White House that culminated on March 8, International Women's Day, with a 10,000-person march.

In February 2003, just weeks before the invasion of Iraq, Code Pink organized its first trip to Iraq, and then led 5 delegations there. These included a trip with parents who lost their children in Iraq, and a trip with parents of soldiers. They also brought a group of 6 Iraqi women to the U.S. to tour the country, and published a report about how the US occupation has affected the status of Iraqi women. ^[4] Code Pink also put out a book called "Stop the Next War Now", ^[5] which included essays by Eve Ensler, Barbara Lee, Arianna Huffington, Janeane Garofalo, Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Hong Kingston, Jody Williams, Naomi Klein, Benazir Bhutto, Helen Thomas, Julia Butterfly Hill, Amy Goodman, Doris Haddock, Cynthia McKinney and others. The name "Code Pink" itself is a play on the United States Department of Homeland Security's color-coded alert system:

^[6]

[edit] Activities

[edit] Past activities

• September 21, 2006: Code Pink staged a peace march that blocked traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge. Code Pink received permits allowing them to march after the morning commute hours at 10:00am. Instead, the group began walking toward the center of the span as early as 7:30am. They left by 10:00am with no injuries or accidents reported.^[7]

• March 16, 2007: Code Pink was present at the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing, chaired by Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA), was called to investigate issues in the disclosure of the classified role of Valerie Plame. At this hearing, Code Pink activist Midge Potts, wearing a pink T-shirt on which was printed "Impeach Bush Now", was visible at the back of the room but in a straight line with the cameras on Plame.

• March 20, 2007: a Code Pink protester interrupted a Hillary Clinton fundraiser in Washington and was removed by security.^[8] This was one of a series of Code Pink protests against Clinton; a week later, five Code Pink members confronted her at the legislative-political conference of the Communications Workers of America.^[9]

• March 22, 2007: several Code Pink protestors were arrested outside the office of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi after announcing their intent to take over the office. Code Pink was protesting that the majority Democratic party had not stopped war funding.^[10]

• April 28, 2007: Code Pink held a nationwide protest for the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney claiming the two "lied the nation into a war of aggression, are spying in open violation of the law, and have sanctioned the use of torture. These are high crimes and misdemeanors that demand accountability."^[11]

• September 10, 2007: Code Pink attended General David Petraeus' testimony to Congress. Petraeus testified that security objectives in Iraq were largely being met and that a long-term effort there was needed. Members of Code Pink protested loudly, interrupting the general's testimony at least twice and were shown being forcibly removed. Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) banged his gavel and stated they would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.^[12]

• September 2007 onward: Code Pink began holding weekly counter-recruitment protests in front of the United States Marine Corps Officer Selection Office located in Berkeley, California.^[13][14] These protests escalated into the broader Berkeley Marine Corps Recruiting Center controversy.

• October 24, 2007: Desiree Ali-Fairooz approached Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice with red paint on her hands and shouted "The blood of millions of Iraqis is on your hands!" She was immediately arrested.^[15]

[edit] Ongoing activities

Every year on Mothers Day, Code Pink organizes peace rallies. On Mother's Day 2006, Code Pink organized a 24-hour gathering in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House, which was attended and supported by activists such as Cindy Sheehan, Susan Sarandon and Patch Adams.^[16] Code Pink has also organized vigils at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C.. These vigils have been met with criticism in the media.^[17]

On their official website, Code Pink has listed allegations of U.S. war-crimes, and claimed thousands of civilians were killed in Fallujah in 2004 due to the actions of the U.S. military.^[18] Along with other groups, they gave over $20,000 worth of supplies to the residents of Fallujah in 2004.

Code Pink encourages counter-recruitment in opposition to U.S. military recruitment in schools and at recruitment centers.^[19]

The organization is planning protests labeled kiss-ins for St Valentine's Day, 2008. Members are encouraged to assemble outside military recruitment centers and kiss; as well as holding up banners with slogans such as "Make out, not war!" and "Love the troops, Hate the War".^[20] Members are also asked to hand out flyers alleging that military recruiters are lying to those they are recruiting. According to the Code Pink website, "For example, the flyers claim that recruiters tell potential recruits their chance of being sent to a combat zone is slim. In contrast, according to the flyers, almost all recruits will be sent to Iraq or Afghanistan." ^[21]

In late 2007, CodePink began protesting a U.S. Marines recruiting center in Berkeley, California. The Berkeley City Council was widely criticized after that for voting to tell the Marines that they were unwelcome. Berkeley resident and CodePink protester Cynthia Papermaster said "We're not against the Marines, but against what they're recruited to do." Counter-protesters held signs, including one that said "stop bashing our boys."^[22]

[edit] Criticism

Code Pink, or individual Code Pink leaders, have been criticized in two major areas. First vigils at military hospitals have been described as not respecting the wounded soldiers.^[17] The second is that they have supported Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, who has been the subject of accusations in the U.S. media of human rights violations and lack of democratic process.^[23] The organization has responded to these accusations by stating that their vigils have been disrupted by individuals who are not part of the group and that the accusations aimed at President Chavez are false.^[24][23]

[edit] Demonstrations at Walter Reed Medical Center

Code Pink has been the subject of criticism for actions at demonstrations at the Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, DC. Code Pink describes the demonstrations as "vigils not protests" and says their purpose is to highlight the lack of care for veterans. Their press release said "Since we started these vigils, we feel we have helped put the spotlight on the needs of the soldiers and helped achieve positive results, such as greater VA funding and a rollback of attempts to make soldiers pay for their own meals, phone calls, daily hospitalization fees and increased co-payments."^[25] Criticism has centered on the use of tactics such as displaying coffins and chanting aggressive slogans. Speaking of the displaying of coffins, Kevin Pannell, an amputee and former patient at the hospital said it "was probably the most distasteful thing I had ever seen. Ever. We went by there one day and I drove by and [the anti-war protesters] had a bunch of flag-draped coffins laid out on the sidewalk. You know that 95 percent of the guys in the hospital bed lost guys whenever they got hurt and survivors' guilt is the worst thing you can deal with."^[17] Code Pink responded that "In recent weeks, the vigil has attracted some people who have tried to change the tone and message of the vigil, including yelling and holding up inappropriate signs." They claimed the disruptive protesters are not part of their group and that they have asked them to be respectful. Code Pink also speculated that these protesters may be "infiltrators whose aim is to disrupt the vigil".^[24]

[edit] Comment by George W. Bush

In a speech on November 1, 2007, President Bush criticised Code Pink, among other antiwar groups, saying "When it comes to funding our troops, some in Washington should spend more time responding to the warnings of terrorists like Osama bin Laden and the requests of our commanders on the ground and less time responding to the demands of MoveOn.org bloggers and Code Pink protesters." ^[26]

[edit] Stunt during Plame hearing

During the March 2007 Senate hearings on disclosure of the classified role of Valerie Plame Wilson, for which a member of Vice President Dick Cheney's staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby was convicted of obstruction of justice, perjury, and making false statements to federal investigators; a Code Pink activist, Midge Potts, constantly maneuvered to be in the camera views of the witness. Potts wore a pink T-shirt emblazoned "Impeach Bush". She said she was in the Judiciary Committee hearing room not to add anything to the proceedings there, but "...I switched it to the impeach during the Valerie Plame hearing mainly because it seems like that the Democrats or -- are going to push the supplemental through." ^[27] This action was criticized by the Capitol Hill Blue political news website on the grounds that it gave ammunition to Administration political workers to portray any complaints about the President or the occupation of Iraq as being from extremists. ^[28]

[edit] Tucker Carlson interview

Conservative talk-show host Tucker Carlson criticized Pink leader Medea Benjamin for her support of Hugo Chavez. She was quoted as saying that the charge in sections of the U.S. media that Chavez had cracked down on free speech and civil rights in Venezuela was a "myth."^[23] In an interview on his MSNBC show, Benjamin was asked, "Do you want to revise that given the news that Hugo Chavez has closed the last nationally broadcast opposition television station for criticizing him?" Benjamin replied that it was not true and that what happened was that Chavez simply did not renew the license because the station "participated in a coup against a democratically elected government, his [Chavez's] government." Benjamin also said "Peru recently did not renew a license. Uruguay didn‘t renew a license. Why do you hold Venezuela to a different standard?"^[23] Carlson responded that a 360-page Venezuelan government-published book accused RCTV, the last independent television station closed by Chavez, of showing lack of respect for authorities and institutions. Carlson asked Benjamin, "I would think, as a self-described liberal, you would stand up for the right of people to 'challenge authorities and institutions.' And yet you are apologizing for the squelching of minority views. Why could that be?" Benjamin replied that, "They [RCTV] falsified information. They got people out on the street. They falsified footage that showed pro-Chavez supporters killing people, which did not happen. They refuse to cover any of the pro-Chavez demonstrations."^[23]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Code Pink
• World Social Forum 2006 » Day Three - Meeting Chavez