FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2026
Media Contact: Melissa Garriga | [email protected]
CODEPINK Vermont to Host Ann Wright and James Leas for a “Gaza Flotillas, Cuba, Iran, and Venezuela.” Community Discussion
MONTPELIER – CODEPINK Vermont is holding an upcoming talk with Col. (ret) Ann Wright and James Leas, two participants in the recent Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which attempted to deliver medical and other assistance to Gaza.
- WHEN: Sunday, June 7, 2026, at 4pm
- WHERE: Christ Episcopal Church, 64 State Street, Montpelier, VT
Ann Wright is a retired United States Army colonel and U.S. State Department official who publicly quit her government post in 2003 in protest of the U.S. war in Iraq. James Leas is a retired lawyer and IBM engineer who has lived in Vermont for over 30 years. Leas, a long-time peace activist from South Burlington, Vermont, is the first Vermonter to participate in the flotilla, while Wright has been involved in flotillas since 2010. This event is co-sponsored by the Vermont Coalition for Palestinian Liberation.
The Gaza Freedom Flotilla in 2026 was organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition ( and coordinated with the Global Sumud Flotilla. In total, over 100 boats with participants from 54 countries departed the Mediterranean for Gaza to break the Israeli blockade that prevents food and medicine from being delivered to Gaza, where the population is being starved, and disease is rampant, with few functional hospitals. The Israeli navy intercepted all of the flotilla boats in international waters and detained 430 participants, which is a violation of international law.
US Army Colonel Ann Wright (ret.), an FFC spokesperson, said about these attacks on the flotilla, “Flag countries have a heavy responsibility to enforce the law. If they fail to act, they effectively grant impunity to the perpetrators, invite further violations, and encourage even more extreme illegal actions by Israel and any other rogue state that follows its example.”
Crystal Zevon of West Barnet helped to organize the event, saying, “Vermonters need to know that the Israeli navy, which is funded by U.S. tax dollars, violated international law in attacking flotilla boats in international waters. This is an illegal and immoral attack on community organizations from around the world who are trying to provide medical care and food to victims of genocide in Gaza.”
For more information, please contact Crystal at [email protected]
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