Trump Protest Group Code Pink Has History of Crashing GOP Conventions

At least one protester in Cleveland succeeded where others outside the Republican National Convention had failed this week: she managed to get inside and disturb the party.

Medea Benjamin, founder of the activist group "Code Pink", interrupted Donald Trump's nomination speech in spectacular fashion, holding high a pink banner with the words "Build Bridges, Not Walls" on it. Dozens of TV cameras that had been focused on the stage immediately pivoted to scenes of security guards escorting out a defiant Benjamin.

Trump, who paused his speech, did not encourage his supporters to shout her down, as he has at times with protesters at numerous campaign rallies over the past year. Instead, he turned away from the mic and the crowd chanted "U-S-A!"

As Benjamin was being taken away by police, she said she did it because "Donald Trump is dangerous for this country."

For Benjamin, who 11 hours earlier had tweeted: "Needed: tickets to RNC tonight!!! #RNC2016 help!!!", it was just another notch on Code Pink's long résumé as GOP convention spoiler.

2004

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Against the backdrop of an unpopular war in Iraq, the group - which launched in 2003 as an anti-war organization protesting the Iraq invasion - staged protests three days in a row at the Republican National Convention at New York City's Madison Square Garden. Members, in fact, managed to interrupt President George W. Bush's party nomination speech on two separate occasions.

According to news reports at the time, Benjamin reportedly got within 30 feet of Vice President Dick Cheney during then California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's speech. "How much money has Halliburton made in Iraq?" Benjamin reportedly yelled at the vice president, referring to the oil-services company where Cheney served as CEO from 1995 to 2000 just prior to becoming vice president.

2008

At the 2008 Republican National Convention in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the group managed to get official guest passes and Benjamin, along with co-founder Jodie Evans, walked up to near the stage at the XCel Energy Center wearing pink slips with the words "Palin Not a Woman's Choice" scrawled on them.

2012

At the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa Bay, Florida member disrupted nominee Mitt Romney's acceptance speech, hurling pink posters with the words "People over profits," and "Democracy is not a business."