FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2025
Media Contact: Melissa Garriga | [email protected]
BREAKING: Secretary of State Marco Rubio Disrupted for Second Time in One Day Over Complicity in Gaza Genocide
CODEPINK Activist Arrested After Confronting Rubio at Senate Hearing
WASHINGTON, D.C. – For the second time today, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was disrupted while testifying before Congress—this time by anti-war activist Ahmed El-Masry, who shouted, “End the genocide!” before being violently removed and arrested by Capitol Police. The disruption occurred during Rubio’s afternoon testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, following a similar protest at the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee.
El-Masry, a CODEPINK volunteer and anti-genocide activist, condemned Rubio’s role in enabling the U.S.-backed Israeli genocide of Palestine.
“I am sick and tired of waking up every day and seeing babies and children being killed with our tax money,” said El-Masry. “Our government has forced us to be complicit in this slaughter. Marco Rubio has the power to end this genocide—we need an arms embargo now to stop the starvation, stop the bombing, and Free Palestine.”
El-Masry has been a constant presence in Congress since Israel’s genocide campaign began over 500 days ago, urging lawmakers to halt U.S. military aid to Israel.
Instead of pursuing diplomacy, Rubio has actively supported policies that continue the bombardment and occupation of Gaza, where over hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been killed, including tens of thousands of children. Just today, the UN released a report warning that 14,000 children are at risk of dying from starvation within the next 48 hours if sufficient aid is not allowed into Gaza.
Today’s disruptions come amid growing global protests demanding an immediate ceasefire, an end to U.S. military aid to Israel, and accountability for war crimes. CODEPINK and other anti-war groups will continue to escalate direct actions until U.S. policy changes.
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