Antiwar activism met corporate gaslighting Wednesday as General Dynamics CEO Phebe Novakovic refused to acknowledge the deadly consequences of her firm’s arms sales to Saudi Arabia and other nations after CodePink cofounder Medea Benjamin interrupted a company shareholder meeting.<\/p>\n
Benjamin attended the annual meeting in Reston, Virginia and calmly confronted<\/a> Novakovic about her company’s weapons sales to countries including Saudi Arabia<\/a>, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain<\/a>, and Egypt<\/a>. She specifically mentioned a March 25, 2016 Saudi-led airstrike<\/a> that hit a crowded marketplace in the Yemeni village of Mastaba, killing scores of civilians.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n “How is it morally responsible to be engaged in a war in Yemen where now as a result of that war, every 75 seconds a child dies<\/a> from war and hunger?” Benjamin asked. “My heart goes out to the children of Yemen and I was wondering if you think about them as well, because while they are dying, people in this company are making profits off of them.” <\/p>\n It’s not every day you get to directly confront the CEO of a major weapons company and ask how they feel about a business model that thrives on conflict, destruction, war and suffering. https:\/\/t.co\/kCHrn5r6PC<\/a>https:\/\/t.co\/dMVaoqdjyQ<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Medea Benjamin (@medeabenjamin) May 6, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n