CLEVELAND - CODEPINK Founder Medea Benjamin stood in defiance of Donald Trump’s xenophobia and racism tonight at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Bearing a banner that read “Build Bridges, Not Walls,” Benjamin called for delegates and the nominee to reject hateful rhetoric that demonizes immigrants, refugees and 1.6 billion members of the Islamic faith.

“Scapegoating immigrants and refugees – some of the most marginalized and powerless members of our society – for the problems we face as a nation is deeply racist,” said Benjamin. “I rose to disrupt Trump’s ‘victory speech’ tonight to make sure that no one, whether in the arena or watching in their living room, could overlook the horrifying racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and misogyny that is at the root of Donald Trump’s ideology. We want to build bridges not walls, and we want peace and love, not hate and war."

Interviews with Medea Benjamin can be arranged through Alli McCracken, CODEPINK National Director, at (860) 575-5692.

CODEPINK, a women-led peace organization, is in Cleveland at the Republican National Convention to call for reduced military spending, immigration policies that welcome refugees and provide amnesty to those who are undocumented, an end to drone warfare, and severed ties with repressive regimes like Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. CODEPINK is asking all presidential candidates to adopt their ten point Peace Platform which calls for foreign and domestic policy based on respect, cooperation, non-violence and diplomacy, not war and hate.

Medea Benjamin is the founder of CODEPINK and Global Exchange, and is the author of nine books, including the forthcoming Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the U.S.-Saudi Connection to be released in September by O/R Books.

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