What: Drive-By the Saudi Embassy for Loujain al-Hathloul’s 31st Birthday #FreeLoujain

When: Thursday, 5:00 - 7:00 PM ET

Where: 601 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington, DC

Join the #FreeLoujain BDay social media Day of action 

Dear John

Tonight is Loujain al-Hathloul’s birthday, but, rather than being able to celebrate with her loved ones, Loujain will be turning 31 behind bars. Loujain has spent over two years in prison, all for the “crime” of peacefully advocating for Saudi women’s rights, including the right to drive.

Get your in your car, on your bicycle, or other mode of transportation and join CODEPINK and our friends at the Freedom Initiative tonight for a drive-by #FreeLoujain birthday party. Here is a flyer for you to print out and put on your car.  Not in DC, or not able to come? No problem! Join the #FreeLoujain social media day of action all day today, culminating from 5PM ET when the clock strikes midnight in Saudi Arabia and Loujain’s birthday officially commences.

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia hopes the rest of the world will forget about its human rights abuses and the thousands of peaceful activists it has imprisoned and executed. But Loujain is always on our minds and in our hearts – and we won’t let her courage, sacrifice, and huge heart be forgotten on her birthday. 

Loujain has spent over 800 days in detention and has endured horrific torture. She is one of the most prominent advocates for Saudi women’s rights, fighting to end the kingdom’s misogynistic practices such as the female driving ban and the male guardianship system. On May 15, 2018, Loujain was taken from her home in the middle of the night and arrested. In the two years since, she has been imprisoned, held incommunicado from her family and lawyer, tortured, abused, and threatened with rape and murder – all for daring to stand up for justice and equality. 

This evening, as we drive by the Saudi embassy, singing, cheering, and honking our car horns, Loujain will likely be asleep in her jail cell on the other side of the world. She will have no idea we are celebrating her life in this way. But our drive-thru birthday party serves another purpose: to show Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world that we haven’t forgotten about Loujain and the hundreds of wrongfully imprisoned and murdered activists like her, and that we will never stop fighting for their freedom. 

Please join us this evening as we celebrate the life of this incredible woman and demand her freedom. Find all the details and let us know you are planning to attend here. If you cannot attend the event, please join the party via social media and sign and share our petition! 

We have been both inspired by Loujain’s bravery and heartbroken by the injustice of her situation for years. From our petitions to our boycotts to our social media storms, we will never stop fighting for justice for Loujain and all political prisoners. 

With hope and determination,

The D.C. CODEPINK team