FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 5, 2025
Media Contact: Melissa Garriga | [email protected]
CODEPINK San Pedro Announces 'Picket for Peace' Rally at Raytheon Facility
EL SEGUNDO, Calif – Prominent antiwar activist Medea Benjamin and CODEPINK San Pedro will hold a "Picket for Peace" rally on Jan. 8, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. outside Raytheon's facility in El Segundo, Calif., urging workers to shift from military production to peaceful initiatives.
The demonstration aims to highlight the role of defense contractors in global conflicts and advocate for a transition toward non-military industries. Participants will gather along El Segundo Boulevard to flyer workers.
"It is the American worker and the American taxpayer who are being used by the U.S. war machine that is so hated around the world. It is time people practice ethics and choose peace," said Rachel Bruhnke, CODEPINK San Pedro organizer.
Raytheon Technologies (RTX) is a prime example of how the arms industry profits from the killing of others. The company is one of the primary suppliers of the weapons used in current wars, including the genocide in Gaza, in which its executives have explicitly anticipated large profits from the resulting "restocking" of arsenals. RTX supplies the guided air-to-surface missiles used by Israeli F-16 jets, along with cluster bombs and bunker buster" bombs**, which are designed for deadly and devastating impact.
The most explicit evidence of profiting from killing comes from the company's leadership. On an October 24 investor call—weeks into the genocide—RTX CEO Greg Hayes bluntly stated regarding global conflicts: **“I think really across the entire Raytheon portfolio, you're going to see a benefit of this restocking.” The restocking he was referring to was the need to continue to supply weaponry for Israel’s genocide in Gaza that has now continued for over two years, despite the recent “ceasefire” leaving hundreds of thousands of Palestinians dead or missing.
Likewise, in Latin America, RTX stands to profit from a war on Venezuela. If the military uses Tomahawk missiles in a conflict with Venezuela, RTX would profit directly from the Pentagon's need to restock. Warships stationed in the Caribbean stock 115 Tomahawk missiles each. The U.S. Navy already plans to purchase hundreds more of these $1.3 million missiles, ensuring immediate new orders for the manufacturer by utilizing existing stockpiles.
CODEPINK San Pedro's rally seeks to draw attention to the implications of such contracts and advocate for a redirection of resources toward peaceful and sustainable industries.
For more information about the picket, please contact Rachel at [email protected].
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