Activists demand 'no war on Iran' outside Pelosi mansion

Alarmed by an escalating campaign of saber-rattling by the United States and Israel against Iran, about 100 activists descended on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) mansion in the wealthy Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco on July 19. Pelosi, as a member of the bipartisan "Gang of 8" Congressional leadership, last year authorized $400 million for an escalation of covert operations inside Iran to destabilize the regime. This authorization cleared the path for a potential war on Iran. House Resolution 362, authorizing a military blockade of Iran, is expected to reach the floor of Congress within the next few weeks. The demonstrators had planned to stage a "die-in" on Pelosi's property to dramatize the human cost any attack on Iran would exact. But San Francisco police had anticipated the protest, arriving earlier to set up barricades and patrol cars to prevent the demonstrators from accessing Pelosi's property. Undeterred, the activists held the "die-in" in front of the barricades for about two hours, lying down on the sidewalk and street. Some activists clutched large portraits of Iranian children with inscriptions saying "Please Don't Bomb My Country." Others covered themselves in white sheets splattered with red paint to resemble blood. Recordings of air raid sirens and bombs dropping were blared over speakers to more fully simulate a war-time environment. "The Bush administration has already started two illegal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, with disastrous consequences," said Oakland resident Cathy Mahoney. "A million people have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, most of them innocent civilians, many of them children. How many more innocent people will be killed if the US or Israel starts another war against Iran?" Ten activists attempted to cross onto Pelosi's property, three of whom were arrested for trespass. "Pelosi and Congress need to take action immediately to block any military action against Iran, before it is too late," Mahoney said. "She still represents San Francisco, which is one of the most actively antiwar districts in the country," said Sanaz Meshkinpour, Middle East Program Coordinator at Global Exchange. "She would not be Speaker of the House without us here in San Francisco, and she's the Democrat with the most power to prevent another catastrophic war. We're demanding she do that." Pelosi was not home during the time of the protest. The San Francisco action was one of more than 15 coordinated events taking place across the country. Co-sponsors of the die-in included United for Peace and Justice, Act Against Torture, Direct Action to Stop the War, Code Pink, Global Exchange, EBCOSSI, Iraq Moratorium and the Ecumenical Peace Institute. Some activists are prepared to be arrested. The groups say these actions are only the beginning of a larger campaign they promise will continue until Congress takes decisive action to prevent the United States' war in the Middle East and Asia from expanding.