On Friday morning I drive a rental car from Maine to Syracuse, New York to participate in the Resisting Drones, Global War and Empire: A Convergence for Action! on April 26-28 at Hancock Field. Hundreds of antiwar activists are expected to attend from all over New York and around the country for a weekend of workshops, music, networking and action. I will speak on a plenary panel during the conference.
The Air National Guard base at Hancock Field near Syracuse has remotely flown the MQ-9 Reaper drones over Afghanistan since late 2009.
The National Defense Authorization Act signed into law last year by President Obama allows for the establishment of six national test sites where drones could fly through US civil air space. Hancock Field is one of 37 sites around the nation that have applied to be selected as one of the six test sites. Powerful Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) is using his influence in the Senate to push the selection of Hancock as one of the bases.
There have been a series of protests at Hancock Field during the past couple of years including major civil disobedience actions opposing the operation of drones at the base. In late 2011, 31 activists were found guilty after trespassing to protest the MQ-9 Reaper drones.
The events this weekend are being sponsored by the Upstate Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars which is primarily composed of activists from upstate New York representing a diverse assortment of Peace and Justice organizations in different cities. They seek to educate the public and Hancock Air Base personnel about the war crimes perpetrated in Afghanistan with the MQ.
MQ-9 Reaper is built by General Atomics.
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