DRONE ACTION IN SYRACUSE

Just arrived in Syracuse, New York after an eight-hour drive from Maine in a rental car.

This video was made by Ted Forsyth from Rochester (NY) Indymedia who did interview with many of the speakers who are coming to Syracuse.

The “Resisting Drones, Global War and Empire" convergence begins tonight and runs through Sunday.  Civil resistance is planned for Sunday at Hancock Field (drone base) which I plan to participate in.

I was in Augusta all day yesterday to attend the Maine legislature's Judiciary Committee work session on the drone bill.

Attorney General Janet Mills still opposes any requirements for police to have warrants. She also spoke alot about drones being an "economic driver for the State of Maine" and wants no restrictions on them - especially attempts to regulate drones having weapons on board.

Drone makers and Presque Isle airport representatives pushed hard for no limits on weaponized drones in Maine that could be tested in the northern part of the state.

I still think a two-year moratorium on all drones in Maine is the best step. Such a moratorium would give us more time to educate and mobilize the public who is strongly against drone surveillance as they learn about it.
But those pushing drone testing don't want a moratorium - they want to move ahead quickly with a bill that has very limited regulation and allows weaponized drones testing.

The drone industry is drooling at the idea of big profits from the surveillance society and they sell the idea to the public by promising lots of jobs.  Yesterday in Augusta the drone maker was threatening the politicians that if they didn't pass a bill that allows "weaponized drone testing" in Maine then he pull up his stakes and move some place else.