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Last week, Senator Hillary Clinton held a fundraiser in San Francisco at the Sheraton Palace Hotel. San Franciscans who have spoken out against the war repeatedly gathered outside the hotel for a rally and press conference, urging the New York senator and presidential would-be to put action behind her words and end the Iraq war. About thirty demonstrators outside the hotel handed out flyers that read, "Hillary Stop Funding War" and encouraged funders entering the event to ask Hillary hard-hitting questions about her stance on the war.
Meanwhile, five activists made their way into the private donors-only event. Two hotel guests found their way to seats in the audience, while three of us took on a new creative tact. Dressed in chef’s white coats with nametags and (mock) Hillary campaign badges, we entered the event, and when Hillary began her talk, we unfurled large hot pink banners that read "Hillary Stop Funding War" and "We Need a Peace President." Two of us were positioned behind Hillary, which made for some excellent photos. A third was stage right, making it appear as though there was a sea of pink popping up around the room. The security people were slow to respond to us and finally took our banners and escorted us out.
On my way out I stated very loudly and passionately, "Hillary please stop funding the war!" As I was shouting, a woman clocked me in the chin and hooked her fingers into my mouth, grabbing at my jaw as if to yank it off. I felt like I was being bridled. Stunned, I didn’t speak up to demand that she be identified and held by the police. I was amazed that here in America supporters of a presidential candidate could so easily assault someone with an opinion they don’t approve of, and a Democrat no less.
I faced a similar response at a Hillary engagement with the BAR Association in San Francisco about a year ago—after holding up a banner, I was chocked by the security official, and the audience members sitting within inches of me did nothing to help me. The anger and aggression with which people react to our actions still astounds me. It makes those with contrary political opinions appear tenuous at best. After we were taken out of the event, we were detained in a small room for the remainder of the event, cited for "disrupting a meeting," and released.
My interaction with the SFPD was pretty calm and respectable, but not all the protesters had such a smooth experience. At the start of the event, fundraiser host Susie Beale commented that she’s eager to see change in this country, and when she and another host asked if the room was ready for a woman president, the crowd applauded enthusiastically. I wanted to applaud too. I was raised with the idea that I could grow up to be anything I wanted to be, and that women could now choose their professions freely. "We don’t have to serve the boss coffee these days, so honey you be strong and burst through that glass ceiling" was my mom’s refrain. I decided I would blast through the gender barriers in a space shuttle as an astronaut, or stomp them out while tromping through the jungle doing scientific research. So understandably, just like most gals my age, I get psyched about the idea of a woman president. But I want to see a president with values, and being a woman just isn’t enough to buy my vote. I want to vote for a peace candidate, someone who is unafraid to take leadership to bring us out of Iraq, and speaks out against any future aggression towards Iran.
Right now Hillary has the worst position on Iraq of any of the Democratic presidential candidates. Her latest call for a phased withdrawal with no end date is totally inadequate. Hillary’s new legislation puts a cap on troop levels, while units are already being deployed to Iraq—the cow’s out of the barn on that one—and her proposal threatens to cut off funding to the Iraqis if their government doesn’t meet certain standards in six months—talk about blaming the victim! Hillary said at the fundraiser on Friday, as if responding to our earlier disruption, "Yes, we do have to end the war in Iraq, and we have to do it as soon as we possibly can!" Hillary, if this is what you believe in your heart, then don’t wait to be president to do something—act now to bring our servicemen and women home and secure a better tomorrow for Iraq!
There may come a day when disrupting Hillary feels like shouting at a brick wall, or George Bush. But for now, when Hillary is still using the verb "listening" and is vulnerably vying for the presidential nomination, I am still hopeful. And I’m hopeful that Americans will keep pressuring the candidates to stand up for peace, especially those who have the purse power to make or break their campaigns. The bottom line to wealthy Democrats is this: until Hillary takes action in the Senate to responsibly end the Iraq occupation, funding Hillary is funding war.
Rae Abileah (rae@codepinkalert.org) is a national organizer with CODEPINK: Women for Peace. She lives in Oakland, California. For more info about the Listen Hillary campaign, visit www.listenhillary.org
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