Code Pink, Washington’s resident group of rabble-rousers, will be busy celebrating the Iran nuclear deal this week.
Monday evening, the anti-war grassroots organization plans to deliver flowers to the Georgetown residence of Secretary of State John Kerry to show their support for his efforts to broker an agreement. According to a press release, activists in attendance will hold pink parasols embroidered with letters that will spell out “IRAN DEAL YES.”
“Over the next two months, Congress will review and likely vote on this deal, and already some hard-liners in Congress are threatening to kill the agreement and a handful of billionaires are funding multimillion-dollar ad campaigns against the deal,” said a press release. “These include casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, Home Depot founder Bernard Marcus, hedge fund tycoon Paul Singer and Charles Bronfman of Koor Industries.”
“We call on our congressional representatives to ignore the monied interests of people who prefer hostilities over diplomacy, and instead support Secretary Kerry’s efforts and represent the interests and desires of the American people by supporting this deal,” said Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin.
When the secretary of state testified before Congress on July 23rd about the Iran deal, the peace activists were there to greet him with applause and signs that read “Thank you John Kerry” and “Peacemaker John Kerry.”
Code Pink often makes headlines for more disruptive demonstrations at congressional hearings and policy-related events.
In January the group interrupted the proceedings of a Senate hearing with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, chanting “arrest Henry Kissinger for war crimes” and waving handcuffs in his face. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., called the protesters “low-life scum.”
More recently, Benjamin interrupted an interview that CNN’s Jake Tapper was conducting with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., at the Atlantic Council. During a Q&A session, Benjamin chose to forgo asking a question, and accused Graham of supporting a foreign policy that is “a prescription for endless war.”
Graham fired back and said, “I couldn’t disagree with you more. I think people like you make the world incredibly dangerous. I think people like you are radical Islam’s best hope.”
Benjamin also confronted Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, about his condemnation of the Iran nuclear deal during a rally in Washington, D.C., in July.
Code Pink has even targeted Kerry in the past. At a hearing in September of 2014, Code Pink activists held up protest signs while Kerry was testifying, criticizing the administration’s military action against the Islamic State in Iraq.
The group has shown nothing but adoration for the nuclear agreement. After the deal was announced in mid-July, Code Pink hosted a “Dancing With the ‘Enemy'” event in front of the White House, in which Iranian dancers taught the activists and members of the public Iranian dance moves.
On Tuesday, the group is planning yet another demonstration, this time bearing hula hoops. The “Hoops not Nukes — Peace with Iran!” event will feature a hula hooping “jam session” in front of the White House, according to the Facebook event page. Over 150 guests have indicated they will attend.
