Eleven antiwar protesters were arrested Wednesday after they occupied the office of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Capitol Hill to demand the senator support efforts at diplomacy over sending further U.S. aid, such as weapons, to Ukraine.

Capitol Police arrested the 11 people inside the Dirksen Senate Office Building under a D.C. code that prohibits crowding, obstructing or incommoding, a Capitol Police spokesperson said. The code is often cited when arresting protesters during peaceful planned acts of civil disobedience.

The protesters, who were with the antiwar group Code Pink, were advocating for Ukrainian, Russian and U.S. leadership to negotiate an end to the war, the group said in a news release.

“Yes, Bernie should condemn the Russian invasion, but he should also be calling for a negotiated end to this brutal war,” Crystal Zevon, from Barnet, Vt., said in the news release.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Washington has pledged more than $46 billion in military, humanitarian and financial assistance to Ukraine.

A spokesperson for Sanders said the senator’s chief of staff, foreign policy adviser and Vermont state director met with Vermonters who were concerned about the war. In a Wednesday letter to the Vermont Peace Anti-War Coalition, Sanders said he shares a “dedication to peace” and “hope for a peaceful resolution as soon as possible.”

“The U.S. should support a just peace in Ukraine, based on the principles of territorial integrity, sovereignty, and international law,” Sanders wrote in the letter.

    • Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Crazy. TIL Code Pink really took a turn. Being against aggression and authoritarianism used to be their jam. Now they seem to support the actions of a lot of authoritarian regimes.

  • partial_accumen@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    “Yes, Bernie should condemn the Russian invasion, but he should also be calling for a negotiated end to this brutal war,” Crystal Zevon, from Barnet, Vt., said in the news release.

    Okay, Crystal I’m going to first steal your wallet that has $100 in it. Now, lets begin the negotiations on how much you get back. I think $20 is fair for you to get back. You’re happy we’re negotiating, right?

  • bbbbbbbbbbb@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Do these people know we tried peace talks before? Do they know Russia is just demanding Ukraine give up to end the war?

  • Jaysyn@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    “The U.S. should support a just peace in Ukraine, based on the principles of territorial integrity, sovereignty, and international law,” Sanders wrote in the letter.

    Sounds good to me.

  • AlexWIWA
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    1 year ago

    Picked a weird senator to protest. Reminds me of when those vegan protestors jumped him. He’s probably the only senator that would side with them, yet they protested him. Such weird behavior.

    • FireTower@lemmy.world
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      At least one was from Vermont, it’d make sense they wanted to convey a message to one of the two Vermont senators.

  • Ð Greıt Þu̇mpkin@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Gotta love how these supposed peaceniks are only so eager for negotiations whenever momentum increases in Ukraine’s favor

  • Ilovethebomb
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    1 year ago

    I absolutely despise these people. The war ends when Russia leaves Ukraine, and not a moment before. Those are Ukraine’s terms, and I see no reason why they should change.

  • ghostdoggtv@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    2nd genocide of Ukrainians in 100 years. If you’re protesting the war but not the invasion you’re full of shit.

  • Cleverdawny@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Based

    This shit is like whining that the British aren’t negotiating with Hitler after his invasion of Poland

  • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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    1 year ago

    What a shock that Crystal don’t have a complete understanding of the situation.