Desiree Fairooz, a member of the activist group Code Pink: Women for Peace, was convicted yesterday of criminal misdemeanor charges. The charges stem from her laughing during the confirmation hearing of Jeff Sessions in January. The case lasted only two days, as it went to trial on Monday and closing arguments took place Tuesday. Fairooz was found guilty of parading, demonstrating, and disrupting Congress, with each charge carrying a maximum of 6 months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.
How the incident happened
The incident took place on January 10 during the opening statements of Jeff Sessions' confirmation hearing. Fairooz was there with other activists from Code Pink, Tighe Berry and Lenny Bianchi. They were protesting what Code Pink says is Sessions' racist past. Berry and Bianchi got escorted out of the hearing first and arrested. Both were found guilty of parading and demonstrating
Less than a half hour after they got arrested, Fairooz was escorted out and arrested. According to the government motion for the hearing, Alabama Senator Richard Shelby was testifying on behalf of Sessions.
It is alleged that Fairooz laughed after Shelby said that Sessions' record of "treating all Americans equally under the law is clear and well-documented."
The government motion says that Fairooz let out two bouts of laughter. The campaign director of Code Pink, Ariel Gold, defended Fairooz. She said that she was sitting near her and the noise was quieter than a cough. Gold also argued that it was a reflex prompted by an absurd statement made by Shelby on Sessions' record of treating all Americans equally.
Code Pink and Fairooz's history of protest
Code Pink was founded as an activist group back in 2002 in reaction to the Iraq War. It has since grown into a political activism network. They became famous for confronting and protesting Congress, national conventions, fundraisers and publicity tours.
The group also protested against political leaders at the height of the Iraq War. They confronted George W. Bush, Carl Rove, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, and others.
For Fairooz, this is not her first time in court for activism. She told Gold that she had been arrested up to ten previous times. However, she said she only remembers being convicted once. It was on one charge that she served a three-day jail sentence.