On Wednesday, CODEPINK members Desiree Fairooz, Tighe Barry, and Lenny Bianchi were found guilty of disorderly conduct by a D.C court for their actions to oppose hatred and racism at the confirmation hearing of Jeff Sessions. Desiree’s conviction stemmed from her spontaneous laugh when Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) said Mr. Session's record of “treating all Americans equally under the law is clear and well-documented.”
Even the media was shocked at the fact that Desiree is now facing up to a year in jail for laughing at a blatant lie in a Congressional hearing. Sign the petition to tell the Justice Department that Desiree must go free!
Desiree spoke out about her conviction, “I do not regret attending the confirmation hearing of Jeff Sessions and being a part of a visible statement of dissent... I, along with my colleagues at CODEPINK, will continue to speak out against injustice, whether it is mass incarceration, attacks on Muslims and immigrants, or the continuous wars and militarism that is destroying so many lives.”
If you are in DC, join us Wednesday at noon for a Laugh-In and press conference on the steps of the Justice Department and sign the petition that laughter is not a crime! And don't forget to share the image on top of this email on Facebook and Twitter.
In the past, arrests like this would have been thrown out. Pursuing this case shows that Trump and his Justice Department are intent on quashing dissent. But CODEPINK has been protesting in the halls of congress and in the streets since its inception 15 years ago and we will not be deterred now. With civil rights and health care being rolled back, a proposed budget of $54 billion more for war, and the “Mother of all Bombs” having recently been dropped on Afghanistan, our commitment to resistance is stronger than ever. We will not stop until laughter is celebrated and war is criminalized!
In loving resistance,
Ann, Ariel, Desiree, Jodie, Lenny, Mariana, Mark, Medea, Nabeelah, Nancy, Paki, Paula, Taylor and Tighe
P.S. Please join us in action on Mother's Day!
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