WOMEN AND PROTEST: CODE PINK AND THE 2016 US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
WOMEN AND PROTEST: CODE PINK AND THE 2016 US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Summary/Abstract: The paper explores the political activism of the feminist grassroots organization, Code Pink, the existence and functioning of which is based on giving voice to women who stand against American militarism, and advocate peace and peaceful coexistence around the world. It examines the nature of Code Pinks activism, its relationship with previous administrations, and how it was challenged during the American presidential elections of 2016 that led to Trump’s ascendance to the White House. President Trump’s discourse against United States (US) militarism, gained support among many Code Pink members, who failed to consider the potential for subsequent policy formulation and implementation by the Trump administration, including those of a xenophobic, Islamophobic, homophobic, misogynist, and racist nature (Patel & Levinson-Waldman, 2017). Although the Democrats, during the course of the presidential campaign, went to great lengths in reaching out to social categories often targeted and marginalized by Trump, such as the LBTQI+ community, Mexicans, Hispanics, and Muslims, the Democrats’ preoccupation with these and other social categories resulted in a failure to secure the votes of the majority of White Americans (Tyson & Maniam, 2016). We find the argument that Code Pink acted as a barrier to Trump’s 2016 presidential victory, despite its opposition to the underlying character of “Trump ideology,” unbefitting.

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