John,

The DC Area has been witnessing a series of persistent protests and movements aimed at advocating for an immediate ceasefire in Palestine. We are truly grateful for the unwavering support and participation of all those who have joined us in our efforts to bring attention to this urgent need for a ceasefire. You all live in or around the city that has the most access to these politicians, so we have to keep the pressure on. 

We want to recap with you all we've done in recent months, in case you've missed it, but first: we need you on International Women's Day.

With all this in mind, we are organizing for International Women's Day in Congress. On average, each day, Israeli forces kill two mothers every hour. Mothers aren't able to feed their children. While our "progressive" politicians in the US tout their support for reproductive justice, some of them have said nothing about Israel murdering mothers and babies. On IWD, we will call them out with our co-founders Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans!

Until then, our Co-Director Danaka Katovich will be in DC this upcoming week. Join us in Congress next week to demand a ceasefire in Gaza! 

Here's a recap of our activism in DC since the start of 2024: 

On January 13th, thousands of supporters joined us in the March on Washington for Gaza. At the massive rally, we staged a demonstration outside the White House, exhibiting the bloodied bodies and limbs of 500 baby dolls. They emphasized the toll of the conflict, reflecting that since October 7, with U.S. support, the Israeli military has been responsible for the deaths of over 10,000 Palestinian children in Gaza at that time. Since then, the number has skyrocketed. 

Kids in the Capitol 

Later in January, we partnered with Teachers Against Genocide as they held a field trip to congress. This gave the kids an opportunity to bring their concerns to their leaders. The children held signs saying “Bookbags not Body Bags” and “Money for Books Not Bombs”. Lilia, a 12 year old girl who attended the trip to Congress, asked the Senators, “Would you kill me for being in the way?” The Children went door to door of the congressional offices and reminded those government officials of the genocide and the importance of a ceasefire. Instead of killing kids in Gaza, invest in the future of all children!

We Called on Congress to Restore Funding to UNRWA

During one of our advocacy efforts, the Biden Administration heartlessly cut off funding to UNRWA - a lifeline for Palestinians. We attended the congressional hearing on the matter and were appalled by the speakers and witnesses as they suggested that UNRWA needed to be defunded and that the people of Palestine were to blame. In response, five of us spoke out and were arrested for doing so. 

Calling Out Pelosi

We also got the chance to confront Nancy Pelosi and her vile claims that we are “Russian apologists”. Pelosi went viral for going on the news and saying that protestors who are asking for a ceasefire, like us, ought to be investigated by the FBI because, "When they advocate for a ceasefire, it's Putin's agenda at play. Let's be clear: this is directly aligned with his objectives." She went viral again right after for telling our very own CODEPINK member Cynthia Papermaster to "Go back to China". When confronted by our Co-founder Medea Benjamin and other members who joined us in congress, on her notorious words, Pelosi was quite upset. You can watch here! 

Susan Sarandon Joins CODEPINK

Actress Susan Sarandon accompanied us in the halls of Congress to demand a ceasefire. We confronted lawmakers who continued to fund atrocities in Palestine, despite the American public's dissent. However, we did have the opportunity to meet with Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib who applauded our work! 

And that's really just the tip of the iceberg. You can read more about our day-to-day actions in DC on Last Week at CODEPINK and check our events page to see when you can join us in Congress. But here's how you take action now:

Sign our petition to the "progressives" that won't stand up for Palestine - we will deliver it on International Women's Day!

Join co-founders Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans on March 8 to stand up for Gaza on International Women's Day! 

Peace & Solidarity, 
Isra, Medea, Danaka, Jodie, Michelle, and the Whole CODEPINK Team

P.S. CODEPINK DC will be having a meet & greet on Wednesday February 28th at 6 PM - email [email protected] if you'd like to attend! 

P.P.S. If you have any stories from joining us in Congress, we'd love to hear them! Send them to [email protected].