[Imc-dc-editorial] can we make an Editorial Decision? i don't know - Code Pink disrupt's Perle this AM

[matthew bradley]

<http://dc.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=59506&group=webcast>


Code Pink disrupts Perle
  by Tambourine Man                                12:22pm Tue Mar 25 
'03 (Modified on 1:17pm Tue Mar 25 '03)






  A member of Code Pink disrupted Perle this morning at the AEI, 
shouting 'great engineering! You're not making us safer.'




A brave member of Code Pink this morning disrupted the calm of AEI's 
Iraq war briefing this morning. During a talk by Richard Perle, Michael 
Ledeen and James Woolsey, a question came up about casualties. Suddenly 
the Code Pink activist stood up and started shouting at Perle, 'here's 
what casualties look like' and tried to hand him a leaflet. People in 
the room yelled 'get her out.' The chairperson, Danielle Pletka, who 
earlier was very friendly and all smiles, stiffened, and kept repeating 
'get out, get out.' The Code Pink lady was hustled out of the room by 
AEI security. Perle said 'I think she disagrees with us.' 'Get out' 
Pletka yelled again. 'Great engineering, you're not making us safer,' 
replied Code Pink. 'Get out' shouted Pletka again. Once the disruption 
was over, Pletka asked 'anyone else? The next one will be escorted out 
by the police.' The meeting went on. A bit later Pletka started crying 
openly when she talked about pictures she had of Saddam's attacks on 
Kurds and others opponents of his regime 10 years ago. But no tears 
about today's victims of US bombing and strafing. As I left the 
building, three heavily armed cops were inside the lobby and outside in 
a DC police car. They were asking AEI if they could go. I asked the 
cops if this wasn't a bit of an overreaction to one lady in pink. He 
laughed. 'Gotta be prepared,' he replied. I'm writing this anonymously 
(and didn't disrupt) because I want to continue getting into these 
events and report what is said. It was an effective protest - Perle was 
clearly uncomfortable. And this Pletka AEI hack really lost her cool. 
With five or ten more people these folks would really be rattled.