Denver Anti-War Action rally, banner drop sends powerful message to Rep. Brittany Pettersen
Lakewood, CO – Around 10 a.m., August 26, Denver Anti-War Action (DAWA) rallied outside Representative Brittany Pettersen’s Lakewood District office on Wadsworth. Around 35 protesters showed up from various Colorado Palestine Coalition organizations in a continuation of DAWA's fight against Israel’s genocide, Lockheed Martin and war profiteering politicians.
Pettersen, the U.S. representative from Colorado’s 7th Congressional District, is beyond complicit in the Israel’s genocide against Palestinians. Indeed, she actively profits from and endorses it.
Protesters made the short walk over to her office from Belmar Park, holding banners, signs and giant checks representing the total of $149,933 Pettersen accepted from Lockheed Martin and AIPAC. They shouted chants such as “Shame, shame war profiteer, you are not welcome here” and “Brittany, Brittany, what do you say? How many kids have you killed today?” These chants emphasize Pettersen’s pro-genocide actions, such as the letter to President Biden she signed that supported increased funding for the Israeli military and opposed a ceasefire, claiming “de-escalation would be a victory for the terrorists.”
Once the group arrived at the office, the office building’s management threatened the protesters with the police, claiming the parking lot was private property. Undeterred, the protesters moved to the sidewalk, where the hundreds of passing cars could see and hear the clear message that Coloradans reject Pettersen’s war profiteering and support of genocide. As the crowd chanted and listened to speeches, drivers honked their horns in support of the protest.
A speaker from DAWA, Emily Schlichter, spoke about the contradictions in Pettersen’s platform. While she acts to improve water infrastructure in Colorado, she ignores the Israeli destruction of water infrastructure in Palestine. While she takes pride in investing in mental health services, she looks the other way from the devastating mental health impact of the genocide on Gaza’s population. And while she champions democracy, she does “not listen to the crystal-clear will of [her] constituents for an immediate ceasefire and arms embargo.”
After the speeches, the protesters continued to chant before returning to the park. Later, around 1:00 p.m., DAWA dropped a banner that read “Brittany Pettersen is a war profiteer!” from the Lakewood-Wadsworth light rail station bridge. Only a couple of miles from Pettersen’s office, the banner informed constituents who drove by of Pettersen’s acceptance of blood-soaked checks from AIPAC and Lockheed Martin.
DAWA will continue to challenge Pettersen, holding her accountable for endorsement of the ongoing genocide. There will be no rest for war criminals in Colorado.