Local drone protesters arrested

[bananas]

Source: Rochester City Newspaper

More than 30 members of the Upstate Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars were arrested this week after participating in a protest outside the Hancock Air National Guard Base near Syracuse. Some of the US military’s killer drones are operated and flown to targets in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other countries from the air base.

Three of the arrested protestors are from Rochester, according to a statement from the anti-war group, and about 275 people participated in the protest. The coalition staged a mock funeral procession, carrying coffins labeled with the names of countries where US drones have been blamed for civilian casualties.

Arrested protestors were arraigned in the De Witt Town Court with bail ranging from $500 to $3,500, according to the statement.

President Obama’s use of unmanned aircraft for information gathering and aerial attacks is among the most controversial decisions of his presidency. While some military analysts say the drones are more precise, less expensive, and highly effective at killing known terrorists, others disagree.

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Read more: http://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/NewsBlog/archives/2013/04/30/local-drone-protesters-arrested

[bananas]

1. Protecting Drone Crimes - Report on Hancock Air Field Civil Resistance By Bruce K. Gagnon

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Protecting-Drone-Crimes--by-Bruce-K-Gagnon-130430-828.html

Protecting Drone Crimes - Report on Hancock Air Field Civil Resistance
By Bruce K. Gagnon
OpEdNews Op Eds 4/30/2013


Bruce Gagnon arrested at Hancock Field drone base by Maurice Morales

I was honored to be involved in the weekend drone conference and protest in Syracuse, New York organized by the Upstate Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars. I've just returned home after spending Sunday night in jail (with maybe one hour of sleep) and the long eight-hour drive back to Maine. So my mind is slipping a few gears, my wrists still hurt after about 11 hours of wearing handcuffs, but my heart and soul feel strong from the experience.

The drone conference began on Friday evening at a local community center in the Syracuse black community. More than 200 folks showed up for the event that featured some of the great activists from around the county like Col. Ann Wright, Kathy Kelly, David Swanson, Dr. Margaret Flowers, Kevin Zeese, Charley King, Mark Johnson, Elliott Adams, Howie Hawkins, Nick Mottern, Joe Lombardo, the Grady sisters, Tighe Barry, Debra Sweet and a large delegation of Veterans for Peace members from many states.

I spoke Saturday morning on a plenary panel along with Kathy Kelly and David Swanson. This gave me the chance to put drones into the larger context of US strategy and space technology development that is being used to advance the "interests" of corporate globalization and their effort to control resources around the planet. I suggested that we might think of military space satellites as being the "triggers" that makes it possible for drones to fire their deadly "Hellfire" missiles that frequently kill innocent civilians in places like Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Yemen.

In addition I did a workshop entitled "Full Spectrum Dominance" that allowed me the time to thoroughly cover the nuclearization and weaponization of space issues.

<snip>

[jtuck004]

4. While the "blue" Washington State is working hard to get Drones here for testing. n/t

[Alamuti Lotus]

2. that's beautiful

the real-life video game players who send birds of death and murder children from miles in the air from the safety of thousands of miles away are proposed to be given a whole new class of medal for their efforts; people who aren't happy this kind of long distance, anonymous murder are arrested. Is it any wonder that we're fucked up as a race?

[Nite Owl]

3. Thank you

for your activism. I am not understanding the reason for your arrest, was it because it was outside of a military base?

[bananas]

5. I wasn't there, I'm just posting news stories and articles.

Bruce Gagnon was there, he explains the arrest - they went to the airfield, the police marked a line, and the protestors crossed the line:

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Protecting-Drone-Crimes--by-Bruce-K-Gagnon-130430-828.html

Protecting Drone Crimes - Report on Hancock Air Field Civil Resistance
By Bruce K. Gagnon

<snip>

On Sunday morning we gathered for a meeting on the planned civil resistance action later that day at Hancock Air Field from where the "Reaper" drone is flown over Afghanistan by military personnel sitting in front of computer terminals at the base - all hooked up by military satellites and Space Command down-link stations spread around the world.

<snip>

After we had moved to the base in a slow funeral procession four of us from Veterans For Peace (VFP) stood next to the yellow crime scene tape the military and the local police used to mark the point we were not allowed to pass without risk of arrest. A large number of activists crossed this line and performed a die-in blocking the entrance to the base. They covered themselves in white sheets covered in red. While a policeman was issuing a warning with a bullhorn the four of us from VFP began reading the names of children killed by US drone strikes in Pakistan. Once we finished reading the names we stepped over the line and were quickly grabbed by the cops, handcuffed, and escorted to the waiting big black police bus.

<snip>

One question from the media was why the harsh bail? I answered that in a way it is the "supreme compliment". These drone protests at Hancock Air Field have been escalating during the past two years as more people learn about the Syracuse connection to the killing of innocent people overseas. The local military and police authorities want to crack down to "deter" future protests. They figure that people will think twice before coming to Hancock. But in fact that strategy will backfire in their face. The primary reason I went to Hancock was because of the "Orders of Protection" that have been given to everyone arrested there during the last two actions.

This ridiculous "Order" says that we must "stay away from Hancock... and refrain from assault, stalking, harassment, aggravated harassment, menacing, reckless endangerment, strangulation, criminal obstruction of breathing or circulation, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief, sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, forcible touching, intimidation, threats or any criminal offense or interference with the victim or victims of, or designated witnesses to, the alleged offense and such members of the family or household of such victim(s) or witness(es) as shall be specifically named Greg Semmel." The judge handed me the "Order" to sign. I said that I had no idea who Greg A. Semmel was.... as it turns out he is commander of Hancock Field. I said I'd not know the man if I stumbled into him on the street. The judge then said, good you don't have anything to worry about then.

But this "Order" is something to worry about because it makes it possible for the State of New York to arrest me and incarcerate me for up to seven years for contempt of court if I return to protest at the base. They are cracking down hard on the protests because they are working. The public is beginning to learn about these killing drones and minds are changing. The protests must be stopped.

<snip>

[blkmusclmachine]

6. The Perpetual War has now come to the Homeland.

Who are the enemies now??

The terr'ists won.

[L0oniX]

7. Just wondering ...are we allowed to protest anymore?

[BelgianMadCow]

8. the official coining on the term Free Speech Zone

is a bit of a pointer of where exactly the US is. I'm in favour of the term inverted totalitarianism, recently.