Report Back: July 29-30: Simultaneous Rallies at Four U.S. Drone Bases!

Note:  This was a prelude to our upcoming Fall Actions:  Creech AFB, Nov. 1-7 & Holloman AFB, Oct. 28-30.  We invite all those living near a military base in and outside the U.S. to collaborate and organize simultaneous base actions this fall: ABOLISH WAR & STOP DRONE KILLING!

July 30:  Day of Action for Peace with Iran
Simultaneous Rallies at Four U.S. Drone Bases:
Call on U.S. military to "stand down" and “Refuse Illegal Orders.”  

Called for by ShutDownDroneWarfare.org & BanKillerDrones.org

A collective action by additional local organizations and community members, including CODEPINK, Veterans For Peace, Nevada Desert Experience, Catholic Worker, retired folks, young folks, etc.

REPORT BACK :  We Did It!  Photos tell it all….
In just a couple of weeks, and for some, in just a few days, we were able to plan, organize and execute simultaneous protests at 4 U.S Drone Bases across the U.S., in response to the expanding illegal and immoral US-Israeli led war on Iran, and elsewhere. U.S.-Israeli drones have become the weapons of choice in these aggressive wars in Iran, Lebanon & Gaza.  The overriding theme of these drone base rallies was a call to our military to “REFUSE ILLEGAL WARS,” inspired by a Veterans For Peace national billboard campaign. Below are short reports from each base action, a sampling of photos, and links to excellent media coverage, including a couple of good Pacifica radio interviews on both coasts.  See attached press release and flyer for even more info.

In an interview with Frank Sterling of kpfa’s Full Circle, we were reminded of one of the worst drone missiles developed, the Bladed R9X Ninja Missile, that cuts up it’s human target with sharp rotating blades, and mostly reduces collateral damage..or so they claim.  You can learn more about it in  this video.  The worst part, is reading public comments attached…America has a long ways to go before we’ll find our humanity as a nation. Abolishing war would be the more humane solution!

Beale AFB, Marysville, CA - Beale is the designated home of the “Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA)” and plays a huge role in analysing global drone surveillance & intelligence video data.

[July 30 Action]  Early Morning Commute - A "small but mighty" nonviolent peace squadron of 6, from Davis, Sacramento, Bay Pt, Vallejo and El Cerrito converged at Beale AFB at sunrise, at the start of the morning commute into the South Beale Rd. gate. In the course of 2 hrs, not a single flyer was accepted by personnel entering (They get direct orders to NOT interact with “protesters.” ) We counted over 1,000 cars entering the base, received an overwhelming amount of waves and 2-fingered peace signs and almost no negative responses. They all were greeted by our large banners and signs, encouraging them to think more about their role in the current state of endless U.S. wars:  "REFUSE ILLEGAL ORDERS,”  "Stop Killing for Empire,”  “You Don’t Have to Do This?”  At the end of the vigil, Toby Blomé walked 1/4 mile down the road to the “base boundary” white line, where military police cars awaited. Eventually 6-7 armed, "fatigue-wearing base police”  swarmed on the other side of the line. She attempted to educate them about the cost of these wars, their duty to disobey illegal orders, their responsibility to educate themselves about what the U.S. military is really doing in the world, DemocracyNow.org, and veteran-led organizations/resources that assist military service folks with legal aid and support should their conscience call them to get out.  None of them were willing to accept a flyer, nor deliver a copy to the commander, though in earlier years they often would. After the vigil and a restful breakfast in Marysville, 2 of us passed out 35 flyers to Walmart customers in the parking lot, where many military families shop. 

The Beale 6:  “Small but mighty"                                                                                                         

Elizabeth Griswold (Davis), offering flyers at a stop sign, while showing the human cost of war.
Beverly McGain (Vallejo), Reminding folks of what an illegal mission might entail.
Catherine Hourcade (Sacramento), informing folks what these wars are really about.
Toby Blomé….There are other choices though there are hurdles to cross. (Next time we’ll bring that GI Rights Hotline banner)

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Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, NV - Nellis has become a training and testing center for unmanned and manned U.S. combat aircraft.

[July 30 Action] - Early Morning Commute -  “Eight community activists from Nevada Desert Experience, Codepink LV, and Veterans for Peace LV gathered outside Nellis AFB to ask service members to refuse illegal orders.  Amid the roar of jet engines taking off for their daily trainings, participants advocated for peace and spoke to community members walking to work.”  (by Karen Pettit, CODEPINK - Las Vegas)

Nellis AFB Rally/Vigil:

Hancock Air Field National Guard, Syracuse, NY (July 29 Action) - Hancock is a MQ9 Reaper drone combat and training base.

[July 29 Action] - Afternoon Commute - About 20 community members gathered from the Syracuse, NY area.  "Our goal with Wednesday's action at the Hancock base was to coincide with the shift change at the base in order for our banners and posters to be seen by as many of the staff as possible. When we did a big, well-publicized rally at Hancock earlier in the year, the authorities pre-emptively closed the main gate, so we were seen by the general public who were travellng along the road, but by hardly anyone stationed at the base. So we started doing these smaller, less-publicized actions in order to avoid having the gate shut against our message. The primary message we were conveying was to remind people that conscience should rise above orders, that morality and legality should take primacy over committing illegal atrocities.”  (Bill Carini, organizer) 

Holloman AFB, Alamogordo, NM - The largest drone training base in the country; 700+ pilots & operators graduate annually. 

[July 30 Action] - Early Morning Commute - Local VFP member, Scott Thompson, was expecting 6-10 young student activists from Las Cruces, NM, to join him at Holloman, but due to unforeseen circumstances, including an assault and arrest of one of the student organizers at this July 28 Las Cruces Commissioners Hearing about a new AI Data Center being built, the Jupiter Project. Thus, Scott found himself going solo.  He stayed for much of the morning commute anyway.  Thank you Scott for your commitment and persistence!

Scott Thompson - VFP -Alamogordo, NM -