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Accountability Toolkit

How to confront war criminals

Disrupting Public Events

In this case, “disruption” refers to targeting spaces where they are present to interrupt regular or important programming. This commonly includes protesting or interjecting at events (town halls, universities, conventions, book tours, conferences, etc.) where they may speak or present. Make sure to review and commit to CODEPINK's principles of nonviolence.

  • It is important to plan to arrive at the event without being identifiable as a disruptor, as this may result in you not being allowed entry. Be discreet. They might expect the disruption due to the heightened number of the past several years. Have a jacket on and reveal your CODEPINK after removing it inside.  Have a banner with a short clear message, always make sure to put CODEPINK on the banner.  
  • Tips
    • Craft your message to the specific person. Be clear as to why they are a war criminal.. 
    • Bring concealed signs and posters with messaging that supports this and make sure all signage has CODEPINK on the bottom. 
    • Plan ahead to make sure someone is recording your disruption, make a video after explaining what you did, why and what happened.  Send to [email protected]
  • Examples:

Bird-Dogging

Birddogging is a strategy used by activists to seek out elected officials, pose them specific questions or information, and in doing so, retrieve their views. Typically activists follow-up by promoting a public video and/or asking for a private lobby meeting.

  • Identify where this person may be. This could be somewhere regular, such as their office, a site of work, or even a common place they attend for recreation.
  • Plan to approach them with specific messaging. You may ask pointed questions about their previous legislative actions, public comments and their thoughts or feelings about Israel’s actions, or ask them about hypocritical actions/statements they have made. 
  •  Tips: 
    • Try to approach quickly and confidently. If you intend to try to have a conversation, introduce yourself first. You can record your interaction and share on social media, and also send it to [email protected]. 
    • Continue to pose your question(s) even if they get off topic.  If they start repeating zionist talking points/getting upset, keep your calm. Use this opportunity to record and allow them to expose themselves. 
    • Allow them to speak! If they are about to say something, try not to continue talking over them– unless your objective is to state facts and let them respond, do not judge them let the audience do that . This is a rare opportunity to capture their words and use their statements against them. In many cases, we know quite well how they will vote or respond to a line of questioning, so this is a time to gather intel that can be used to put pressure or to document their hypocrisy, cowardice, complicity, racism, etc.
    • Provide them enough physical space to move unimpeded. You also want to avoid charges related to harassment, intimidation, etc. Be peace and let them expose their violence. 
    • If you do not have someone to record you, hold your phone subtly by your body to capture the interaction. 
  • Note: no one size fits all. Different approaches apply based on varying goals. You can take a discreet or unexpected approach or run up and immediately begin your questioning. 
  • Examples:
    • Questioning
    • Chasing Down, Posing Facts
    • Surprise Confrontations
    • Example: Continuing to pose questions and stating facts in their silence.

Why Disrupt? Is it Effective?

Disrupting is a valuable activist tool as it…

  •  pressures our targets by forcing them to be confronted with facts
  • stops normalization and desensitization to Gaza
  •  expresses broader public discontent and need for some accountability 

Shutting Down Normalized Dialogue:

  • Interrupting standard discussions challenges the status quo and forces attention on urgent issues, making it difficult for politicians to ignore or gloss over them. Israel’s war crimes and the immense suffering of the Palestinian people is far too often discussed as acceptable, unavoidable, or even more horrific, biblical. This normalization of injustice and dehumanization of Palestinians cannot be tolerated and must be confronted. 

Expressing Public Discontent

  • Not everyone has access to these people, and too often, the voices of those most oppressed are silenced and/or purposefully ignored. When we have the opportunity to confront these members, we carry the voice of hundreds, thousands, even millions of people who are devastated by what is happening in Palestine. 
  • In disrupting, we bring the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs of many to the doorstep of those in power.

Accountability 

  • We know that these war criminals are not labeled as the true criminals they are - instead, they can live a life of peace, enjoying their day-to-day, while millions suffer from their actions. By doing these disruptive actions, we are reminding them that there is no moment of peace for them. We are here to remind them that the people know about and condemn their heinous crimes. Every day, they should be reminded of their horrible acts and pressured to change, even if we recognize they may never change. As people residing in the United States, the belly of the beast, we have a special responsibility to hold these global war criminals accountable. 

Other Key Principles:

RECORD & Share Your Actions! 

  • Make use of social media to spread your message. Collaborate with larger accounts on instagram and tag relevant groups to boost your content so it can be seen by others.  
  • Contact a trusted media source before an action for additional coverage, or share your content with local newspapers to get the word out. 

Take Unaffiliated Action: 

  • Unless coordinated ahead of time, it is safest to attend events anonymously and unaffiliated with a group. Do not claim to represent any specific organization unless planned ahead of time. 

Coordinate local actions 

  • Please reach out to CODEPINK locals to coordinate local actions. 
  • Follow and check their social media accounts (X, FB, Instagram, TikTok, Youtube) 
  • Call and/or email elected officials. Remember, this office works for YOU! Your tax dollars pay for their office space, salaries, travel, and staff. 

Brief Research:

  • Set a Google Alert with their name. Add any events you find to our War Criminal Tracker 
  • Check upcoming local events to find out if they will be present (particularly Veterans Events, Holiday parades, ribbon-cutting ceremonies, city festivals, etc.). 

Follow their allies:

  • Identify where they hold honorary positions like ‘board member’ and follow those organizations.
  • Keep track of upcoming donor events after having identified key corporate and individual donors. 

Additional tactics:

Inform the Public: Outreach Campaigns

  • Flyering - Put up Provocative posters that refer to your members’ specific policies, especially if they are funding the genocide and/or take AIPAC/Pro-Israel/Weapons Company money. Wanted A War Criminal in your neighborhood.  Make it local public knowledge!
  • Take over Public parades (especially around the Summer Holidays)

Resources