Protest at Rep. Mike Thompson’s Napa Winery Fundraiser

Photos: Leon Kunstenaar

(Rutherford, CA, August 4) - A wide-range of constituents and organizations from the different counties represented by Rep. Mike Thompson assembled for a protest in front of the Inglenook Winery, an industrial scale winery cloaked in a Disneyland style attempt at reproducing old world charm. Thompson was there to host his annual Napa Summer Dinner.

The protest was to demand Rep. Thompson’s indictment for participation in the genocide in Gaza and to publicly unveil a campaign to launch a class action lawsuit against him for his illegal use of our tax dollars to fund the genocide.

Rep. Thompson has supported and voted for bills in favor of sending more military aid and weapons to the Israeli government, despite overwhelming evidence of it committing genocide. For example, on April 20th, 2024, he voted to send an additional 4.4 billion of our tax dollars to the Israeli military, allowing it to procure even more ammunition and weapons.

Over sixty protesters were there for the peaceful protest. They flew many Palestinian flags and displayed large banners with messages like "Mike Thompson stop arming Israel","Free Palestine", "donors don't go down with the ship", and "Mike Thompson, we charge you with genocide." One poignant sign read "Israel kills a child in Gaza every 10 minutes."

After about an hour of shouting slogans at cars entering the winery, speakers from North Bay Area groups addressed the activists with information about ongoing plans. Activist then resumed picketing at the winery's entrance.

There was a heavy police presence, at the ratio of roughly one large police SUV per ten protesters, perhaps to protect the donor class from the unwashed demonstrators. Though the dinner was held about a thousand feet away from the entrance, sources confirm that those attending the diner were highly aware of the protest,

Organizations involved in the protest included Sonoma County for Palestine, Love and Light, Sonoma State University Students for Justice in Palestine, Sonoma Valley for Ceasefire, the Palestinian Youth Movement, Centro del Poder Popular, Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Yolo for Palestinian Justice.

See all high resolution photos here.