Picture of the Day

`Bloodied' anti-war protester gets in face of `criminal' Rice

Oct 25, 2007 04:30 AM

WASHINGTON–An anti-war protester waved blood-coloured hands in U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's face at a congressional hearing yesterday and shouted "war criminal!" before being pushed away and detained by police.

"The blood of millions of Iraqis is on your hands!" yelled protester Desiree Anita Ali-Fairooz of the Code Pink organization.

Rice, an architect of U.S. President George W. Bush's Iraq policy, appeared unfazed by the incident, which occurred when she entered a House of Representatives meeting room to testify at a hearing on U.S. Middle East policy.

"Out!" shouted the chairman of the foreign relations committee, Representative Tom Lantos, as security men and police hustled the woman away. The California Democrat also ordered the removal of several other Code Pink activists.

Capitol police said later five people were arrested, including Ali-Fairooz, who was charged with disorderly conduct and assault on a police officer.

Meanwhile, two Code Pink activists who were denied entry into Canada because their arrests for protesting the Iraq war landed them on an FBI-run database say they will try again to enter the country today.

The activists and their supporters presented petitions Tuesday at Canadian consulates in several U.S. cities, demanding Canada reverse what they say is a policy that keeps foes of the Iraq war from visiting.

Ann Wright, a retired U.S. Army colonel and diplomat, was turned back at the border along with fellow Code Pink member Medea Benjamin on Oct. 3. She said they plan to fly to Ottawa today in the hopes of attending a public forum organized by NDP MP Alexa McDonough. Read more!

Praxis

By now we have amassed a wealth of information. This information has grown to the point where I personally feel obliged to begin some campaign of actions. It has become very difficult for me to learn more and more about what's wrong with the world without doing anything about it. I do not doubt many of you feel the same way.
Therefore, I believe these following actions will collectively move us from the intangible world of internet and into the material world:

1. Begin creation of fliers promoting this blog and its information
2. Beginning a series of peaceful demonstrations involving

- percussion/drum circles including other musical instruments (voices too)

- the collective meditation of the demonstrators, channeling positive energies aimed at awareness and change.

- The use of chalk on the ground as expressions of our creativity and interests

- Decorative banners promoting progressive messages about our solutions for change
i.e Peace banners instead of anti-war banners, calling for election reform through paper ballots, calling for tariffs on trade rather than negatively bashing globalization.

3. Begin weekly meetings where we discuss current events and the activities of our organized behavior.

I wish to begin such action on campus at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. Feel free to propose any other locations.

I want to emphasize the continuation of all individual development alongside the growth of a collective body. We must transform life within and without us.

Having laid out this proposition, I put the forum for discussion in our collective hands, in your hands. We must work together in order to make this work in full effect.

It doesn't matter how old you are, how tall or short, what color your skin is, what religion or country you are from. If you are a human being who cares about other human beings then you have a stake in creating change.

You may also reach me at Mr.Barbarian@gmail.com. Send me your contact information with a message of intent...if you realllly want to, I mean you can, and you probably should but only if you reallly want to : )

Thank you. Read more!