FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 8, 2024
Media Contact: Melissa Garriga | [email protected]
Two Nancy Pelosi Constituents Arrested Outside Her Capitol Hill Office After Pelosi Refuses to Listen to Demands for a Ceasefire
"I'm full of grief that Nancy Pelosi, one of the most powerful people in the government, continues to fund lethal weapons to kill Children in Gaza with our tax dollars"
WASHINGTON – Two CODEPINK members from California were arrested outside Rep Nancy Pelosi's office today in D.C. after Pelosi refused to talk with them. They have been requesting meetings for months to speak with the California representative about the urgent need for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and that her constituents do not want their tax dollars going to Israel to sustain the genocide and occupation of Gaza.
"I'm full of grief that Nancy Pelosi, one of the most powerful people in the government, continues to fund lethal weapons to kill Children in Gaza with our tax dollars," said Cynthia Papermaster, who flew from California in an attempt to get Pelosi to listen. "It fills me with grief to think that my tax dollars are being used to buy hellfire missiles, white phosphorus, F-35 fighter jets that are killing people who are in an open-air concentration camp in Gaza."
"This is what Nancy Pelosi stands for, and we really cannot handle it. We say enough of that, Pelosi; you have to stop."
Papermaster was with others in Congress on Thursday urging the women of the Progressive Caucus to not just call for a permanent ceasefire but commit to not funding Israel's deadly genocide and occupation anymore. f a week-long effort by CODEPINK
By refusing to end military and financial aid to Israel, Pelosi and other faux "feminists" have created a devastating reproductive justice nightmare in Palestine:
- Miscarriages in Palestine have increased by 300%
- There is little to no access to adequate prenatal and postnatal care, treatment, and medicine for families.
- 1 in 10 Palestinian women in labor are delayed in reaching hospitals by military checkpoints, which can result in them being forced to give birth in unsafe, undignified, and sometimes fatal conditions
- Over 94,000 Palestinian women lack access BEFORE Oct. 7; Gaza is home to over a million children without access to proper food, medical services, and freedom of movement.
- There is a shortage of blood to treat postpartum injuries, and surgeons have performed C-sections with no anesthetic.
- The Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association (PFPPA) has worked to ensure the accessibility of sexual and reproductive health care services for Palestinians. Israel destroyed it with an airstrike.
Today's advocacy on Capitol Hill was part of CODEPINK's nationwide International Women's Day campaign to bridge local and international struggles. By uniting in solidarity, we reaffirm our commitment to advocating for reproductive justice and gender equality worldwide while also calling for an end to war and genocide.
For more information about CODEPINK's congressional advocacy or the International Women's Day campaign please contact Melissa - [email protected].
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