FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2025
Media Contact Melissa Garriga | [email protected]
"PALANTIR KILLS IN GAZA" CODEPINK, No Tech for Apartheid, and Extinction Rebellion Disrupt Palantir Head of Defense Mike Gallagher and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan at AI Expo
WASHINGTON–Anti-war and climate activists with CODEPINK, No Tech for Apartheid, and Extinction Rebellion disrupted Mike Gallagher, Head of Defense for Palantir, and John Phelan, the Secretary of the Navy, at the AI+ Expo in Washington, DC.
They forcibly removed the group of activists from the conference after they unfurled a banner that read “PALANTIR KILLS IN GAZA AND SURVEILS AT HOME”. They continued to shout, “Stop Palantir, Stop Killing Kids in Gaza, Stop Surveilling Here” as they escorted them out of the conference and building.
“This AI conference brings together the world’s largest weapons companies and big tech firms with the world’s most violent warmongering imperialists in the Pentagon and Congress. It’s our duty to disrupt and call out those who profit from death and destruction. We need to call out corporations like Palantir and their connections between supporting endless wars and genocide abroad and the surveillance and terror here at home. The military industrial complex and the trillion-dollar Pentagon budget this year alone make corporate profits boom when we need that money for healthcare, housing, education, and climate justice - true national security,” said Olivia DiNucci of CODEPINK.
The conference sponsors include Palantir, Google, Lockheed Martin, GE Aerospace, and speakers and exhibitors from the Department of Defense and the National Drone Association.
To justify more money for war every year, while almost 17% of children in the US live in poverty, they create a “threat” to combat. Whether it’s China or Iran, terrorism or migration, this “threat” requires our tax dollars to be allocated to war rather than welfare for the 63% of people in the U.S. living paycheck to paycheck.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have been using AI extensively for their genocide against the Palestinian people, which has already killed more than 55,000 people.
In 2021, the Israeli military described its 11-day attacks on Gaza as the world’s first ‘AI war’. Since then, they have developed and used AI systems for killing, often in collaboration with US companies. “Lavender” system is an AI-powered database that creates lists of “targets” that the IOF attacks. “Gospel” also produces “targets” using AI recommendations.
For more information about the disruption, including photos and videos, please contact Melissa at [email protected].
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