FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2026
Media Contact: Melissa Garriga | [email protected]
CODEPINK Disrupts Lockheed Martin and Reza Pahlavi at Politico Defense Conference
Activists confront the defense giant for "profiteering from genocide" and the Iranian opposition figure for inviting bombs onto his own people
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Peace activists with CODEPINK disrupted the Politico Defense Summit today, with confrontations targeting weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin and Iranian opposition leader Reza Pahlavi.
The action began when CODEPINK D.C. organizer Olivia DiNucci interrupted the Lockheed Martin Armed Services Outlook panel.
“This summit isn’t about security, it’s about more death and destruction,” said Olivia. “Lockheed needs to stop making a killing off of killing. Whether it’s members of Congress, Department of War leaders, or AI experts - weapons manufacturers control them all.”
She added, “Lockheed Martin’s stocks and profits skyrocket while communities and lands are totally wiped out in Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza. That is not security—that is profiteering from genocide.”
Moments later, independent activists disrupted the Emerging Defense panel, shouting: “You have the blood of the people of Palestine, Iran, and Lebanon on your hands!”
Finally, Iranian-American activist Bita confronted Reza Pahlavi over his calls for the United States to bomb Iran, which has led to the needless death of thousands.
“Where were you when our people were pulling their children’s body parts from underneath the rubble of the bombs that you invited to rain down on them?” Bita said. “You continue to manufacture consent for Israel and the U.S.—who are committing a genocide against our brothers and sisters in Palestine and Lebanon—to come and target our hospitals, our schools, and your own people.
“You say ‘mardomeh man’ [my people], ‘Iraneh man’ [my Iran], but then invite bombs and destruction onto your own people, onto your own homeland. You do not care about Iran. You care about who puts money in your pocket. How do you sleep at night?” she continued.
The disruptions were meant to highlight that the defense elites gathered at the Politico conference prioritize profits and artificial intelligence-driven warfare over the safety of real human beings. True security comes from meeting people's basic needs, not from high-tech killing machines and stock market gains built on war and genocide.
For more information on the disruptions, please contact Melissa at [email protected]
