Editing Medea Benjamin (section)

== Protest actions ==
[[File:Medea Benjamin at 2007 State of the Union protest.jpg|right|thumb|Benjamin speaks at a rally during the [[2007 State of the Union Address]] in Washington, D.C.]]
From 2002 to 2009, Benjamin engaged in numerous protests involving members of the [[Presidency of George W. Bush|Bush administration]] (Secretary of Defense [[Donald Rumsfeld]]; President [[George W. Bush]]; Secretary of State [[Condoleezza Rice]]); [[Iraqi Prime Minister]] [[Nouri al-Maliki]], and others. Benjamin engaged in protest actions at the [[2004 Democratic National Convention]] and the [[2004 Republican National Convention]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thinkprogress.org/2006/07/26/maliki-protest/|title=VIDEO: Maliki Speech Interrupted By War Protester |publisher=Think Progress Blog|date=July 26, 2006}}</ref> On December 4, 2007, she was arrested by plainclothes police in [[Lahore]], [[Pakistan]], detained by the [[Inter-Services Intelligence|ISI]] for eight hours, and deported after protesting the [[house arrest]] of lawyers (including [[Aitzaz Ahsan]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/1204-08.htm  |title=Update: US peace activists released  |publisher=[[Common Dreams]].org  |date=December 4, 2007  |url-status=dead  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224123209/http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/1204-08.htm  |archive-date=December 24, 2007  |df=mdy }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.khabrein.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9683&Itemid=88|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721222613/http://www.khabrein.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9683&Itemid=88|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 21, 2011|title=Pakistani police arrest activists|publisher=Khabrein.info|date=December 5, 2007}}</ref> In 2009, Benjamin joined the steering committee for the [[Gaza Freedom March]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.egyptindependent.com/gaza-protest-planned-cast-lead-anniversary/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120730133316/http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/gaza-protest-planned-cast-lead-anniversary|archive-date=July 30, 2012|url-status=dead|title=Gaza protest planned on Cast Lead anniversary|date=December 5, 2009|website=Egypt Independent}}</ref> In February 2012, Benjamin was arrested and deported<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=323958 |title=Thugs attack police after funeral |newspaper=[[Gulf Daily News]] |date=February 18, 2012}}</ref> for illegal entry to [[Bahrain]] and her participation in an illegal protest.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=323959 |title=Rioters on rampage |newspaper=[[Gulf Daily News]] |date=February 18, 2012}}</ref>

During 2005–2010, she worked to oppose United States threats of a possible impending war with Iran, including lobbying Congress, taking [[peace]] [[delegation]]s to Iran, and bringing Iranian youth to Congress.

Benjamin repeatedly interrupted a major speech by President [[Barack Obama]] regarding United States policy in the [[War on Terror]] at the [[National Defense University (Washington, D.C.)|National Defense University]] on May 23, 2013.<ref name="Medea Benjamin v. President Obama">{{cite web |url= http://www.democracynow.org/2013/5/24/medea_benjamin_v_president_obama_codepink|title= Medea Benjamin v. President Obama|website= [[Democracy Now!]]|date= May 24, 2013|access-date=May 26, 2013}}</ref><ref name=business_insider_obama_speech_heckle>{{cite web |first=Brett |last=LoGiurato |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-heckled-guantanamo-bay-heckler-protester-2013-5 |title=Here's The Protester Who Heckled Obama in the Middle of His Big Speech on Terrorism |website=[[Business Insider]] |date=May 23, 2013 |access-date=March 29, 2015}}</ref> After Benjamin was removed for her actions, President Obama then went off script. "The voice of that woman is worth paying attention to," he said. "Obviously I do not agree with much of what she said. And obviously she wasn't listening to me and much of what I said. But these are tough issues. And the suggestion that we can gloss over them is wrong." Benjamin responded by telling [[The Daily Beast]], "If he had indeed made significant policy changes, I wasn't going to say anything. I would have preferred that option, but given that he didn't make those kind of changes I was looking for, I was glad to be given the opportunity to speak out."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/05/24/medea-benjamin-the-woman-who-heckled-obama.html#sthash.r8nEIp1d.dpuf|title=Medea Benjamin, the Woman Who Heckled Obama, Is Not Sorry|work=[[The Daily Beast]]|access-date=November 20, 2014}}</ref>

On July 21, 2016, Benjamin [[heckle]]d [[Donald Trump]]'s acceptance speech at the [[2016 Republican National Convention|Republican National Convention]] with a sign that read "Build bridges not walls".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gupta|first1=Prachi|title=Meet the 63-Year-Old Woman Who Crashed Donald Trump's Speech at the RNC|url=http://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/news/a61683/code-pink-medea-benjamin-rnc-trump-speech/|work=[[Cosmopolitan (magazine)|Cosmopolitan]]|access-date=July 22, 2016|date=July 22, 2016}}</ref>

She joined other activists on the [[2024 Gaza freedom flotilla]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Benjamin |first1=Medea |title=Opinion {{!}} Will the Freedom Flotilla Sail to Gaza? {{!}} Common Dreams |url=https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/will-freedom-flotilla-sail-gaza |access-date=24 April 2024 |work=www.commondreams.org |language=en}}</ref>