Code Pink Stakes Out Hillary Clinton’s Santa Monica Fundraiser

Code Pink activists gathered Thursday afternoon at the corner of Marguerita Avenue and 20th Street in Santa Monica, Calif., for a colorful protest designed to get Hillary Clinton’s attention.

The Democratic presidential candidate was in the tony west side neighborhood for a $2,700-a-head fundraising event. The Code Pink contingency was in costume—as cows.

“Hillary, Hillary, you can’t hide—we can see your corporate side!” demonstrators from the peace-promoting organization chanted. Protesters hoisted hot pink posters with Sharpie-inscribed slogans and messages aimed at the former secretary of state. “Henry Kissinger is not a friend of mine!!” one sign said. “We want a president 4 peace,” said another.

Clinton was slated to drum up support—and cash—at two fundraisers that afternoon, having just visited the University of Southern California, accompanied by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, for a panel discussion on counterterrorism and homeland security. Later, she was due to head to the Hollywood nightclub Avalon, with Ben Harper on hand to sing for her cause and hip-hop magnate Russell Simmons acting as emcee.

Code Pink staked out Clinton’s first pitch party, held at the home of Chris Silbermann, co-founder of the talent agency ICM Partners, and his wife, television producer Julia Franz, according to CBS. Using attention-grabbing get-ups and tactics, they sought to highlight Clinton’s close corporate ties and decry her lack of engagement with everyday Angelenos. The 1 percenters, they suggested, seemed perfectly able to bend her ear on the campaign trail.

“We are Hillary Clinton’s cash cows, and we are on strike!” Code Pink member Alli McCracken shouted to an audience of about a dozen pedestrians and half a dozen on-duty police officers. A few men in suits huddled past the barricades on the blocked-off street, talking in low tones with each other and with officials wearing prominently displayed event passes around their necks.

Doing some of the herding, and fielding questions from curious onlookers, was Code Pink co-founder Jodie Evans, easily spotted in a fuchsia ensemble topped with her signature floppy hat.

Code Pink’s ground troops weren’t just there to be cute and to chant their rendition of Kelis’ “Milkshake,” complete with modified lyrics for the occasion. “We’re trying to bring awareness to the fact, really, that Hillary’s come to L.A.—this is her 18th fundraiser,” said member Chelsea Byers. “In all this time since she’s announced her presidential campaign, she hasn’t spent time engaging the public in L.A. And we’re part of the public that’s very much against the war, against how much money from corporations, from the 1 percent, are really guiding this election for her. And we are here to call for peace and for a president who stands for peace,” Byers added.

The group stopped short of naming which candidate would pass muster, however—even when pressed by a local in a drive-by Q-and-A session. “We want a president who moooves us away form corporate input,” McCracken shot back, without breaking character.

Below is our multimedia coverage of Thursday’s event (via Evrybit):

–Posted by Kasia Anderson