Statement by CODEPINK:
We strongly condemn the deplorable actions of some of the protesters at Medea Benjamin’s book tour event on Friday, May 19 in Minneapolis, an event cosponsored by the local Veterans for Peace and Women Against Military Madness (WAMM). We believe that there are very legitimate, divergent positions on the war in Ukraine, even among people in the U.S. who have been longtime peace advocates. But there are ways of expressing that disagreement that are not legitimate. The violent incident that occurred on May 19 is an example of an unacceptable form of protest.
About 15 protesters gathered outside the event, chanting slogans such as “Medea Lies, Ukrainians Die.” The protesters were upset with Medea’s call for a ceasefire and peace talks, believing that the U.S. should continue to send weapons to Ukraine until they achieve victory. Medea, in her book and talks, calls this war a stalemate that is not winnable on the battlefield but could lead to World War III or a nuclear war. In the interest of ending the fighting and dying, she echoes the calls of many people and national leaders, from Pope Francis to Brazil’s President Lula, for immediate peace talks.
One of the protesters was screaming at Medea and then grabbed her cell phone while she was attempting to film the situation. She called on members of Veterans for Peace for help to retrieve the phone. A fight ensued in which one of the vets, a man in his seventies, had to be rushed to the emergency room with a dislocated shoulder.
This is the first time in over seven months on tour with the book Peace in Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless War (which she co-wrote with Nicolas S.J. Davies) that she encountered violent protesters.
“I have had many protests outside my talks, and I have always stopped to talk to the protesters and invite them inside for a dialogue. These have usually ended up in very rich discussions where we agree to disagree,” said Benjamin. “But this group was not interested in dialogue. Some of them were full of hate and itching for a fight. I was appalled, and deeply saddened, by their behavior.”
We firmly believe in the right to peaceful protest and freedom of expression, but this does not include engaging in aggressive behavior, physical violence, or causing harm to individuals or their personal property.
We call upon all individuals involved in this incident to reflect upon their actions and recognize the importance of peaceful and respectful dialogue. We call on those protesters who did not engage in violence to denounce those who did and demand an apology.
We stand in solidarity with our co-founder Medea Benjamin, the event hosts Woman Against Military Madness and Veterans for Peace, and all individuals who were affected by this regrettable event. We send our love and support to the Veterans for Peace member who was hurt by the protesters. We reiterate our commitment to fostering a society where differing opinions can be shared and debated in a peaceful and respectful manner, free from aggression and violence.
Who were the protestors?
Clueless college students obtaining extra credit or were they part of something that used to be antiwar?
Nope just the extremist racist Ukrainian diaspora. A lot of them are far-right extremists.
They might be called “far right” but let’s be clear exactly who these people are. These are the American Democrat party’s people. They are of the Left. They likely were Bernie Sanders supporters back when he was antiwar but when he turned into a war lover like the rest of the American Left.
These are the footsoldiers of the American Left.
The Democratic Party is not on the left, far from it. It’s a center-right party that’s becoming just plain right wing, if it hasn’t already. The left barely exists in the U.S.
Given your love of “direct action”
I bet the three stooges; Warren, Bernie and AOC (all lovers of war) are not lefty enough for you Jeff.
It’s not left or right. It’s the neocons versus everyone else. I mean when you have
Bill Kristol and the Bulwark supporting Joe Biden that’s when its dangerous.
Kristol has not been part of the GOP for years.
He’s been part of the American Fascist movement (represented by the Democrat Party) for around a decade.
I’m not a leftist, and you often don’t understand my positions nor my comments. “Left” in the political sense means supporting the lower classes against the upper ones. The three you mentioned talk a good game, but they vote with the establishment almost all the time. There are no true leftists in Congress. As I said, the left in the U.S. barely exists.
That is a very good question, and one that deserves a proper investigation by qualified local authorities.
You will never find peace with these fascists
You will never find friends such as we
So remember that valley of Jarama
And the people that’ll set that valley free
Woodie Guthrie
https://www.woodyguthrie.org/Lyrics/Jarama_Valley.htm
Harassing and assaulting antiwar activists. How low can these hawks get?
I have not excluded the possibility that some of these hawks were professional agitators.
Tells you all you need to know about the protesters. Scum (not meant as an insult of the literal scum, which is just another species).
Jun 4, 2023 I Don’t Give a *SH* about UKRAINE (Z)
U.S. military-industrial-complex funding of, and profiteering from, the Ukraine war has got to STOP! Americans have got enough of our own problems to deal with!
https://youtu.be/30N0YGTo5p4
https://media.tenor.com/lBDTTjvXR-QAAAAC/warning-for-mature-audiences.gif
Draft these bloodthirsty “protestors” and give them a one way trip to Ukraine.