There was a breach in security at the Republican National Convention in Tampa last Wednesday, but the gatecrashers in question weren’t there to get violent. The perpetrators were 21-year-old Laura Mills, a recent college graduate from Illinois’ Knox College, and retired colonel Ann Wright. The two feminists are members of the women’s anti-war group, CodePink, and caused a scene to interrupt the speech of Vice President candidate, Paul Ryan.
The CodePink members waited until Ryan was eight minutes into his speech to strike. When he mentioned healthcare, the two women stood up and began shouting, “Health Care, Not Warfare!” and “My body, my choice!” Mills held a pink banner that read in large, bold letters, “Vagina–Can’t Say It, Don’t Legislate It”–a reference to the June incident in which Michigan lawmaker Lisa Brown was barred from speaking in the House after saying the word “vagina” during an abortion debate.
Unfortunately, the crowd was quick to drown out their protest by energetically chanting “U.S.A!” and the women were escorted out by security (see photo below). Since they were positioned next to Mitt Romney’s VIP box, however, their protest was most definitely noticed. Mills, an intern for CodePink, pretended that Wright was her grandmother to secure their spot close to the floor.
Mills told Tampa Bay Times that she “didn’t have to do anything crazy to get in”–the two had gained access to the RNC with credentials that they got from a couple of pissed-off Ron Paul supporters. CodePink has focused primarily on protesting the government’s funding of war and militarism. One of the best things about the group? CodePink is famous for dressing up as giant vaginas, which they’ve been doing as they protest the GOP’s war on women outside of the RNC this week. What a fantastic way to grab the attention of a bunch of vag-fearing conservatives.
Photo Credit: Examiner.com, New York Times, TheRealRevo.com
