Skip navigation
CODEPINK
    • ACTION ALERT: Check out our activities for the Week of December 4, 2023
    • ACTION ALERT: Episode 225: Palestine on Capitol Hill
    • ACTION ALERT: Episode 224: Teaching and Learning Palestine
  • Codepink Store
  • Donate
  • Get Involved
  • Events
  • Act Now
    Become an Organizer for Peace! CODEPINK Congress Ukraine Book Tour Action Alerts Follow CODEPINK Donate to CODEPINK
  • Issues & Campaigns
  • Pink Updates (current)
    Last Week at CODEPINK Action Alerts PINK Tank ~ Blog CODEPINK Radio CODEPINK Webinars Press Releases In the News CODEPINK Impact Report 2022-2023 Local Peace Economy Daily
  • About
    Founders, Staff & Community What is CODEPINK Jobs and Internships CODEPINK's Speakers Bureau CODEPINK Advisory Board Our Allies CODEPINK Logo In Memory Contact Us CODEPINK Store
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
  • LinkedIn
  1. HOME
  2. PRESS RELEASES

CODEPINK Denounces the Arbitrary Detention of Journalist Max Blumenthal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Leonardo Flores | [email protected] | 202 840 4292

Medea Benjamin | [email protected] | 415 235 6517

October 30, 2019 — CODEPINK strongly condemns the arbitrary detention of journalist Max Blumenthal on charges of simple assault. Blumenthal was subjected to a SWAT-style raid and arrest at his home on October 25, then held for two days, denied access to a phone call and a lawyer. The spurious charges against Blumenthal stem from the delivery of food to activists who were lawfully staying in the Venezuelan Embassy in April and May of this year in an effort to prevent the Trump administration from violating international law and handing the building over to the Venezuelan opposition.

The Embassy had been besieged by a mob that attempted to block the entry of food, supplies and people. This mob turned violent, assaulting peace activists and yelling racist, homophobic, sexist and classist insults at anyone perceived to be defending the embassy. “We were beaten up every day by opposition thugs at the Venezuelan Embassy, but the police refused to prosecute them. Instead, they went after us and sympathetic journalists like Max,” CODEPINK co-founder Medea Benjamin tweeted. Ariel Gold, National co-director of CODEPINK, was “physically and sexually assaulted” and denounced the police’s refusal to act, despite being presented with video evidence.

Rather than arresting those engaging in violence, the Metropolitan Police and Secret Service turned a blind eye to the assaults and instead arrested the peace activists. Gold was arrested and charged with “throwing a missile” for attempting to toss a loaf of bread inside the Embassy. CODEPINK member Tighe Barry was arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer, spending three days in jail and five months going back and forth to court before the charges were dropped. Gerry Condon, president of Veterans for Peace, was arrested and beaten by Secret Service officers for attempting to toss a cucumber into the building.

Blumenthal’s arrest warrant was initially rejected before being “revived months later without the defendant’s knowledge.” His detention occurred five months after the events in question, but mere hours after his outlet, The Grayzone, published an article detailing USAID funding for Venezuelan lobbyists.

“This charge is a 100 percent false, fabricated, bogus, untrue, and malicious lie,” Blumenthal declared. “It is clearly part of a campaign of political persecution designed to silence me and The Grayzone for our factual journalism exposing the deceptions, corruption and violence of the far-right Venezuelan opposition.”

This arbitrary detention is a clear violation of the First Amendment that ought to be denounced by all those who value freedom of the press.  It is a chilling attempt to silence one of the most vocal critics of U.S. foreign policy.

The blatant illegality of his arrest is not surprising, as the Trump administration has violated the Vienna Convention in handing over the Venezuelan Embassy to the opposition, violated Venezuela’s sovereignty by recognizing Juan Guaidó as “interim president” of the country, and violated international law and its obligations under the Organization of American States and the United Nations by imposing unilateral coercive measures (i.e. “sanctions”) that amount to a de facto embargo of Venezuela. This collective punishment has harmed all Venezuelans and led to the deaths of at least 40,000 people.

CODEPINK stands in solidarity with Max Blumenthal and we will continue working with him and like-minded people to stand up for international law and denounce the ongoing U.S. backed coup attempts in Venezuela.


###

Continue Reading

Santa Barbara Constituents Condemn Carbajal's Shameful Res 894 Vote

LA Peace Activists to Protest President Biden's Money-Grabbing Visit

Activists for a Ceasefire Continue to Keep Pressure on Senators

CODEPINK To Protest Lockheed Martin in San Francisco

Show all posts
CODEPINK - Women for Peace
seach
  • EVENTS
  • ACT NOW
  • BECOME AN ORGANIZER FOR PEACE!
  • CODEPINK CONGRESS
  • UKRAINE BOOK TOUR
  • ACTION ALERTS
  • FOLLOW CODEPINK
  • DONATE TO CODEPINK
  • ISSUES & CAMPAIGNS
  • DIVEST FROM THE WAR MACHINE
  • PALESTINE
  • ACCOUNTABILITY: EXPOSING WAR CRIMES
  • IRAN
  • END THE BLOCKADE IN YEMEN!
  • LATIN AMERICA
  • THE PEACE COLLECTIVE
  • THE FEMINIST FOREIGN POLICY PROJECT
  • CUT THE PENTAGON
  • PINK UPDATES
  • LAST WEEK AT CODEPINK
  • ACTION ALERTS
  • PINK TANK ~ BLOG
  • CODEPINK RADIO
  • CODEPINK WEBINARS
  • PRESS RELEASES
  • IN THE NEWS
  • CODEPINK IMPACT REPORT 2022-2023
  • LOCAL PEACE ECONOMY DAILY
  • ABOUT
  • FOUNDERS, STAFF & COMMUNITY
  • WHAT IS CODEPINK
  • JOBS AND INTERNSHIPS
  • CODEPINK'S SPEAKERS BUREAU
  • CODEPINK ADVISORY BOARD
  • OUR ALLIES
  • CODEPINK LOGO
  • IN MEMORY
  • CONTACT US
  • CODEPINK STORE
© 2023 CODEPINK | All Rights Reserved | Created by Code Nation on NationBuilder

CODEPINK is a non-profit charity with 501(c)(3) tax exempt status in the United States. Our Tax Identification Number is 26-2823386.