For Immediate Release: August 3rd, 2007
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Peace Mother Starts Statewide Tour after 24-day Hunger Strike for Peace Lieberman threatens Iran with attack; his constituents support peace mom and
peace with Iran
After 22 days of hunger striking for peace with Iran culminated in a fainting spell, an arrest and one official meeting with Senator Lieberman, Leslie Angeline, CODEPINK member from Santa Rosa, CA, will be taking her message to the cities and people of Connecticut. Throughout August and the beginning of September,Angeline and her partner, with whom she traveled to Iran, will be taking their experiences in Iran and at home in the Halls of Congress to the peace and social justice groups in the Independent Senator’s home state. They will also be promoting CODEPINK’s Cities for Peace with Iran- an initiative to pass city council resolutions condemning an attack on Iran. Meetings and events are already scheduled in Hartford, New Haven and Norwalk. Outraged that Senator Lieberman has repeatedly publicly called for bombing Iran, CODEPINK member Leslie Angeline, began a hunger strike to get a meeting with the Senator to talk about his aggressive comments. On June 28, Angeline fainted in his office and was rushed to the hospital for treatment. Angeline soon returned to the Senator’s office and was arrested for ‘Unlawful Entry’, but was then granted the meeting. She and Ali Nasri, a young Iranian peace activist who happened to be in DC, met with the Senator, the 3 of them broke bread together and Angeline ended her fast on the 24th day. Angeline recently returned from a citizen diplomacy trip to
Iran with the humanitarian aid and awareness group Global Exchange. "When
I heard that Lieberman said he thought we should launch military action against
Iran, I couldn't help but think of the 70% of the Iranian population who are
under the age of 30-—the age of my son. Iran is a country of warm, kind, and
generous children and their families. We cannot bomb these kids," says
Angeline. Leslie and CODEPINK CT members are wary of the Senator’s actions,
rebuffing accountability to his constituents. This tour and collaboration with
grassroots organizations in CT is a push to bring accountability back to the
state’s highest office.
For a schedule of CT events with Leslie Angeline or for interviews,
please contact her directly by phone or contact Dana Balicki, CODEPINK’s
National Media Coordinator at (202) 422-8624, dana@codepinkalert.org.
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