Protest Against Drone Warfare Closes Two Gates at Holloman Air Force Base

Fifteen peace activists from across the country temporarily blocked access through the West Gate and later through the Main Gate at Holloman Air Force Base at Alamogordo, New Mexico just after dawn on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. Five were arrested at the Main Gate and charged by Otero County Sheriffs with being pedestrians in a roadway of whom Toby Blomé, coordinator of the action, was also charged with trespassing on base property. Nick Mottern of Veterans for Peace was cited and released due to a health condition for which the Sheriff did not want to take responsibility.

The week-long protest called Shut Down Drone Warfare (SDDW) has been an annual action in its fourth year to protest against the escalating use of military drones, particularly those that are weaponized to strike at civilian targets in countries that have never been a threat to U.S. national security. Unlike manned aircraft, drones make it much easier to make decisions to attack without risking the lives of U.S. soldiers and make it easier to rationalize military action without a declaration of war.

Holloman Air Force Base is one of the primary bases for training operators and remote control of military drones deployed around the world.

The purpose of SDDW is "to stop business as usual and to stop participation in the ongoing crimes against humanity and violation of international laws being committed by U.S. military in Gaza, Iran, Lebanon and elsewhere,” said Toby Blomé. “We want to stop the practice of drone assassination."

Dylan Davis, a volunteer of Food Not Bombs in Las Cruces, said, “Food Not Bombs demands that not another dime of taxpayer dollars is spent on war and destruction abroad while the people of our country go hungry."

Fifteen activists with Shut Down Drone Warfare blocked the West Gate for about 15 minutes starting at about 6:45 AM. Seven protesters held signs and banners saying "Refuse illegal orders" and "You don't have to do this". The road block ended after interaction with State Police without any arrests.

The vigil then moved to the Main Gate where Toby Blomé, Dylan Davis, and Jonah Holguin blocked the entry road inside base property with two banners reading "Refuse illegal orders" and "Drone pilots refuse to fly". After being intercepted by military police, they all laid down across the roadway and were arrested one by one. Toby refused to get up when asked to and was carried off the roadway.

While the traffic was stopped in the entry road Nick Mottern and Matt Dodson, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in New Mexico, walked among the stopped cars offering flyers explaining the reasons for the action and opposition to the drone killing program. The were also arrested even though they were not on base property.

All five arrestees were initially processed at the base visitors center near where the road had been blocked. Toby was taken away quickly in a Sheriff's vehicle. The remaining four were processed for another hour before being moved by a Sheriff's van to the Otero County Detention Center. An arresting officer said that until now arrested protesters had been treated leniently, but now the arrestees will be held overnight for arraignment the next morning at the Municipal Court and the possibility being held until Friday.

Jonah Holguin, a student at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, said, "Active duty servicemen have a responsibility to refuse illegal orders and stand on the side of humanity."