Venezuela Peace Activist in US Arrested For Throwing Bread Defined by Police as 'Missile'

A supporter of the Venezuela Embassy Protection Collective was arrested by police in Washington D.C. for giving bread to other activists inside Venezuela's U.S. embassy, which activists are defending on behalf of the Bolivarian government. On the charge sheet, police showed heightened charges.

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On Thursday, Ariel Gold, national director of the activist group Code Pink was arrested outside the Venezuelan embassy in Washington D.C. Code Pink and others have been protecting the Venezuelan embassy from the representatives of self-proclaimed interim president of Venezuela Juan Guaido who have sought to usurp control of the building. The activists are in the embassy by invitation of Venezuela's elected government led by legitimately elected President Nicolas Maduro.

Ariel Gold's infraction was throwing some bread from behind a police line into the embassy so that the activists inside could remain and continue to protect the building. Upon doing so, she was swiftly arrested and dragged away. The police report read that she was detained for "throwing a missile." A photo of the police report was posted on Twitter by fellow activist Medea Benjamin.

Gold accused the police of hypocrisy pointing to an earlier incident, whereby a right-wing Guaido supporter smashed windows at the embassy, but whose action had not resulted in any arrest.

Upon her release, Gold said via Twitter, “I have been charged with [bread] missile throwing. I hope this US Federal government takes this to trial. Oh the irony."

I was released from jail 30 minutes ago and already one of these thugs assaulted me. I'm filing charges”

Writer and activist Ben Norton commented on the incident: “Not satire: The US gov. charged peace activist @ArielElyseGold with "missile throwing" because she threw BREAD up for blockaded Venezuelan embassy defenders to eat. If this happened in another country, the US would call it an authoritarian police state.”