FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 16, 2022

Media Contact: Melissa Garriga | [email protected] 

“LOCKHEED MARTIN IS A WAR PROFITEER” CODEPINK Activist Disrupt Politico Defense Strategy Conference Conversation with Lockheed Martin CEO

WASHINGTON–CODEPINK organizer Olivia DiNucci disrupted a talk with the CEO of Lockheed Martin Jim Taiclet at the Politico America’s Defense Strategy Conference on Wednesday. They carried off DiNucci and removed her from the conference after she unfurled a banner that read “Lockheed Loves War”. She continued to shout, “Lockheed Martin is a War Profiteer” as they escorted her out of the conference and building. The conference comes just before Congress finishes the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, which funnels billions to companies like Lockheed Martin every year. 70% of Lockheed Martin’s annual revenue comes directly from the US government and American tax dollars. 

 “Every year Lockheed Martin pours money into political campaigns and secures billions of dollars from the American taxpayer.,” states Olivia DiNucci, CODEPINK campaign organizer. “Lockheed Martin and its CEO, Jim Taiclet, make a fortune off the suffering of the people of Yemen and Palestine and of the destruction of the planet. The war profiteers need to be called out.” 

The Politico defense conference came together to answer questions such as “Where should the Pentagon be investing its resources to modernize weapons to keep up with the acceleration of tech in warfare?” and “How is the US retooling its defense strategy, military and spending, and the training of troops in response to Russia’s aggression in Europe, China’s rise, and other global threats?”. The conference sponsors include Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies, two of the world’s biggest weapons companies. 

Notably one question not being asked - what is the United States going to do about its very own military being the world’s largest oil consumer and causing more greenhouse gas emissions than 140 nations combined? Or why do we siphon off over 64% of our government’s discretionary spending to the Pentagon every year? Until news organizations ask those questions, private weapons companies like Lockheed Martin will continue to receive Pentagon contracts and selfishly place short-term profit above the future of our planet.

You can view the disruption here: https://twitter.com/codepink/status/1592947321419235328?s=20&t=PXYPi0CHfXGNcv2oy6hvrg

For more information or for media interviews, please contact [email protected].

###