Condi Rice

Oct 19: Protest Condi Rice's Richly Paid Speech in Portland (your PSU Foundation dollars at work)

Condi wants to waterboardOregon Convention Center (outside)
NE Holladay St & MLK Blvd
Wednedsday October 19th, 5:00 pm
(that's the time of the protest)

Condoleezza Rice comes to our city, PSU and the Convention Center, as the honored (and hugely paid) keynote speaker for PSU's Simon Benson Awards.  Individuals for Justice, members of Code Pink, and members of Veterans For Peace will be there outside the Convention Center to greet this proponent of unjust war and torture.

As Willamette Week wrote (Sept 18):

$5,000. That’s the minimum donation necessary to get a personal photo op with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She’s scheduled to deliver the keynote speech Oct. 19 at the Simon Benson Awards dinner, which benefits Portland State University. Rice, as you may recall, argued for the 2003 invasion of Iraq and (according to the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee) approved the waterboarding of prisoners in U.S. custody. In a letter to faculty, PSU President Wim Wiewel defended the choice of Rice “largely because of her personal story” and rise from humble beginnings. The private PSU Foundation is organizing the event, and even though public entities are sponsoring it—including PSU Athletics, the Port of Portland and Oregon Health & Science University—Wiewel says Rice’s speaking fee is classified.

Classified!  Does he think PSU is now part of the CIA?  Miami University recently paid Condi $150,000 for a similar speech.  PSU should not be sponsoring a pay-off to this advocate of torture and "preemptive war."  She is featured in War Criminals Watch; http://warcriminalswatch.org/index.php/wcw-events/details/945-protest-condoleezza-rice-in-portland-or

Progressive Party helps scare Condi Rice

Anti-War groups stop Condoleeza Rice from coming to Portland
by Joe Walsh - Lone Vet

Members from Individuals For Justice, Veterans For Peace, PPRC, Code Pink, the Oregon Progressive Party and others gathered at the Downtown Hilton on November 13 to celebrate Condi Rice's decision not to show up in order to avoid a peaceful protest of her policies during the Bush Administration.

We received word that she had canceled her appearance at the Inaugural Portland Authors Luncheon. Security at the Hilton confirmed that the ex-Secretary of State decided not to confront protesters here in Portland.

We stopped a war criminal from coming to our city. A small band of dedicated activists spent an hour in front of the Hilton just to make the point that it is not a good PR move for a charity or foundation to use the notoriety of war criminals to raise money, because many of us will raise hell. We are happy that Condi did not come to Portland to sell her book. We are happy that one war criminal was told to stay away and was so afraid of a peaceful, non-violent group that she did. We should smile! This is a victory for non-violence and ending the occupations.

Thanks to you who showed up, got up early and stood for peace. I know I was going to have coffee with many of you but my body said go home. I was wet, tired and do listen to my body when it tells me, enough!

Syndicate content