Activists Challenge Boeing to Disinvest from Drone Research

As reported on local TV news, at Fight Back News, and by Progress Illinois, Dozens of activists came to the Field Museum in Chicago last Monday (4/28) to speak out against Boeing's involvement in developing the next generation of killer drone.  

You're looking at the next incarnation of
 drone terror: Boeing's Phantom Ray.

They braved cold and rain to stand on the steps of the Museum and hold a press conference admonishing Boeing for its involvement in drone terror. 

"The U.S.'s use of drone warfare has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of children, many of whom live in countries where we have not declared war, yet Boeing has decided to pursue a Navy contract for the prototype for the next combat drone. This is unacceptable", said Kait McIntyre of the Chicago Anti-War Committee (AWC). 

McIntyre had applied for a spot on Boeing's board of directors but was pronounced ineligible due to a paperwork technicality. Several who had purchased Boeing stock then entered the meeting to address shareholders directly.

 Newland Smith proclaimed: “Drone strikes as conducted by our government, according to the Geneva conventions, are illegal and immoral and inflict terror on civilian populations.”  

Kait Mcintyre and Richard Berg also spoke out at the meeting. Also present were members of the 8th Day Center for Justice, veterans of the Vietnam-era Students for a Democratic Society, and members of Voices for Creative Nonviolence.

The death of innocent people is a viable investment
 strategy for Boeing CEO James Mcnerney.

 CEO James Mcnerney reportedly responded to the statements of stockholders with the expression of a belief that there is some common ground between their views and the current goals of the company. While patently absurd, this statement showed Mcnerney to have felt himself in a defensive posture when confronted with the unavoidable consequences of his company's investments.

While several took the opportunity to speak truth directly
 to the rich and powerful gathered inside, others
 addressed the public, bearing witness to the consequences of
 Boeing's policy of killer drone R&D.

To see video regarding the Boeing campaign, and to purchase t-shirts in support of the actions against it, visit the Chicago AWC here.

The Spring Days of Drone Action are in full swing!
 CLICK HERE to learn more about actions nationwide.

June 3-14 - Join Voices for Creative Nonviolence - On the Road to Ground the Drones!

Voices for Creative Nonviolence is making preparations to set off on a 160-mile protest walk from Chicago to Michigan Air National Guard Base in Battle Creek between June 3 and 14, 2014. Read the full description here, and contact VCNV to get involved:

If you're willing and able to walk . . . email info@vcnv.org - with the word "walker"

To be an overnight host . . . email info@vcnv.org - with the word "host"

To help organize events . . . email info@vcnv.org - with the word "events"

To provide food . . . email info@vcnv.org - with the word "food"

To design and make signs . . . email info@vcnv.org - with the word "signs"

To help with outreach . . . email info@vcnv.org - with the word "outreach"

More updates to follow!

Trip reports

"We started on June 3 at Boeing corporate headquarters in Chicago, where the manufacture of drones and conventional war planes are managed and designed. We finished on June 14, with about 100 people holding an action at the Michigan Air National Guard Facility at the Battle Creek Airport, site of a new drone command center. Along the way, we talked to lots of people, made presentations to local groups and reached out to local media . . . ." (See Report Back from "On the Road to Ground the Drones" Walk by Bob Palmer)

"Over the last 8 days, I have walked 121 miles with a group of peace activists from around the country. On Saturday, we are closing in on the Battle Creek Air National Guard base where the operation of drones is imminent. Please join me and other peace advocates . . . . " (See On the Road to Ground the Drones: Peace Walkers Reach Battle Creek Air National Guard Base this Sunday, 6/15 by Jessica )

Other related posts

Protestors came out in force from Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, and neighboring states to protest the newly approved mission of Battle Creek Air Force Base: directing targeted killings using MQ-9 Reaper drones. As reported on WWMT local news, "The Battle Creek Air National Guard Base hasn't even started its new mission and already protestors are lining up to oppose it."

(See April Days of Action Against Drones in BATTLE CREEK)





Voices for Creative Nonviolence organized a walk of about 190 miles from the Rock Island Arsenal (where drone and bomb parts are made and stored) to the Iowa Air National Guard Facility at Des Moines Airport, planned site of a new drone command center, between June 8 and June 24, 2013.

(See Summer Days: Covering Ground to Ground the Drones in Iowa with VCNV )

Joining events on the same day in places as diverse as Iowa and California, there will be a demonstration in Philadelphiaon Friday, March 14 from 4p.m.- 5p.m. We will demand that, in his capacity as the head of the PA Air National Guard, Governor Corbett pull the plug on the Drone War Command Center planned for Horsham Air National Guard base outside the city.

(See Stop the Drone War Command Center at Horsham Air Guard Station, in Horsham, Montgomery County, PA )

Write or Call Your Member of Congress Today: Make the U.S. Come Clean on Drone Killings

[UPDATE: June 5, 2014 - Support for the "Come Clean on Drone Killings" bill is growing! There are now 9 co-sponsors, in addition to the original 2 sponsors -- most recently Illinois representative Mike Quigley.  See the list below - where does your representative stand?]


Today, people in Illinois protesting drones are contacting their representatives to encourage support for H.R.4372: the Targeted Lethal Force Transparency Act.

For example: see An Open Letter to Congressman Mike Quigley on H.R.4372: the Targeted Lethal Force Transparency Act . Mike Quigley representatives the 5th Congressional district, on the north side of Chicago.

If passed, the bill will require the Obama administration to come clean about the killings it has carried out using drones -- killings that, up until now, the administration has been able to pretend don't exist.

So now's the time: write or call your member of Congress today. 

To determine what district you live in, go to http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/


Illinois Congressional Delegation

(Members of the Progressive Caucus are presumed to lean in favor of the bill and are marked Progressive Caucus.)

IL01 - Bobby Rush - (202) 225-4372 email
IL02 - Robin Kelly - (202) 225-0773 email
IL03 - Daniel Lipinski - (202) 225 - 5701 email
IL04 - Luis Gutierrez - (202) 225-8203 email (Progressive Caucus)

IL05 - Mike Quigley - (202) 225-4061 email  CO-SPONSOR - 5/30/2014

IL06 - Peter Roskam - (202) 225-4561 email
IL07 - Danny Davis - (202) 225-5006 email (Progressive Caucus)
IL08 - Tammy Duckworth - (202) 225-3711 email
IL09 - Janice Schakowsky - (202) 225-2111 email (Progressive Caucus)
IL10 - Bradley Schneider - 202-225-4835 email
IL11 - Bill Foster - 202-225-3515 email
IL12 - William Enyart - 202-225-5661 email
IL13 - Rodney Davis - 202.225.2371 email
IL14 - Randy Hultgren - (202) 225-2976 email
IL15 - John Shimkus - (202) 225-5271 email
IL16 - Adam Kinzinger - (202) 225-3635 email
IL17 - Cheri Bustos - 202-225-5905 email
IL18 - Aaron Schock - 202.225.6201 email

[SEE: hub page for all Resources to SUPPORT the "Come Clean on Drone Killings" Act (Schiff/Jones HR 4372: the Targeted Lethal Force Transparency Act)]

Related posts

First Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) called the U.S. on the carpet for dodging the call from the international community to come clean about its drone killings. Then Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Walter Jones (R-NC) submitted a bill calling for drone transparency. So ... are we finally going to get the truth?

(See REAL Progressives Demand that the U.S. Come Clean on Drone Killings)

A 2013 U.N. report makes it clear that the U.S. has to report fully on all its drone attacks.

(See 2014: The Year of Transparency (for U.S. Drone Use)?)

The reason the Administration is hiding truth about drones is that they don't have a satisfactory answer for how decisions about drone strikes are made.  As we have known all along, we need the public to think about how crummy the whole drone program is, and then they will be ready to be on our side. The best way to get them really thinking is to shine a spotlight on the secrecy, evasiveness, and deceit involved in the U.S. drone program.

(See Drone Killings: Come Clean )

Hey Illinois pols! Where do you stand? (On U.S. surveillance, secrecy, and assassinations)

Since a jury just got done saying NO! to the efforts of the Cook County State's Attorney's attempts to use the Illinois terror statute to foment fear and repress dissent . . . and since today has been designated "The Day We Fight Back" against state surveillance, repression, and intimidation . . . and since the media is broadcasting a fresh threat by the Obama administration to assassinate a U.S. citizen using a drone strike . . . and since the Illinois primaries for every seat in congress fall just a few weeks away (March 18), it seems like a good time to ask all the members of the Illinois congressional delegation -- current and prospective --

WHERE DO YOU STAND?

The Illinois congressional delegation had the chance to curtail NSA surveillance months ago . . . but they failed to support the Amash Conyers amendment. Now they have a fresh chance - pass the USA Freedom Act!

Demand a response from Illinois representatives today.  It's time to find out where they stand. And to make changes on March 18 if they won't stand up for us.

 #stopthensa #nodrones #surveillance

1st District - Bobby Rush: @RepBobbyRush
2nd District - Robin Kelly: @RepRobinKelly
3rd District - Dan Lipinski: @RepLipinski
4th District - Luis Gutierrez: @LuisGutierrez
5th District - Mike Quigley: @RepMikeQuigley
6th District - Peter Roskam: @PeterRoskam
7th District - Danny Davis: NOT ON TWITTER!
8th District - Tammy Duckworth: @RepDuckworth
9th District - Jan Schakowsky: @janschakowsky
10th District - Brad Schneider: @RepSchneider
11th District - Bill Foster: @RepBillFoster
12th District - Bill Enyart: @RepBillEnyart
13th District - Rodney L. Davis @RodneyDavis
14th District - Randy Hultgren: @RandyHultgren
15th District - John Shimkus: @RepShimkus
16th District - Adam Kinzinger: @repkinzinger
17th District - Cheri Bustos: NOT ON TWITTER!
18th District - Aaron Schock: @repaaronschock

Daley Plaza, Chicago, February 11, 2014
Photo courtesy FJJ.

Related posts

Naturally, the jury in the NATO3 case has no reason to buy into Anita Alvarez's narrative about the threat of terrorism from ordinary citizens and how it justifies a culture of fear and a militarized, all-seeing, secret-driven police state. Which is not to say that they're not concerned about terrorism.

(See In Chi-town USA: got terrorism?)

As the Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights prepared to convene a conference on surveillance on October 19, 2013, it was a shock to find that the majority of the Illinois congressional delegation voted AGAINST the Amash Conyers Amendment -- the measure to curtail NSA surveillance.

(See In Chicago, Illinois: YOU ARE UNDER SURVEILLANCE!)












There will be elections for 435 House seats in 2014. In at least some of those races, U.S. surveillance, secrecy, and assassinations will be an issue.

Herewith an Insider's Guide to the 7 S's (surveillance, secrecy, and assassinations) in the 2014 Midterms.

(See Will the 2014 Midterms be a Referendum on Obama's Surveillance, Secrecy, and Assassinations? )

EPIC's Amy Stepanovich On Drones at Chicago Conference October 19

Amy Stepanovich, from the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), will be a featured speaker at the October 19, 2013, conference sponsored by the Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights (CCDBR), "No Place to Hide: The Rise of the Surveillance State and Its Threat to the Bill of Rights." Stepanovich will focus on drone surveillance and related issues.

Amie Stepanovich is the director of EPIC's Domestic Surveillance Project. Her work encompasses the Fourth Amendment, national security, cybersecurity, digital identity, international privacy, and open government. Ms. Stepanovich is an expert on drone surveillance and has testified in front of Congress on the need for privacy protections for domestic drone use. She has discussed the privacy implications of surveillance at many prominent events, including the Internet Governance Forum (US), the General Assembly of the Atlantic Treaty Association, and the Dialouge on Diversity conference.

See the CCDBR website for the full conference description.

MAAD: Midwest Action Against Drones - Sept 28-29, 2013

Join others from across the Midwest for a protest in Chicago September 28-29, 2013, to oppose drone warfare and surveillance.

Midwest Action Against Drones (MAAD)
Action and Conference
Saturday/Sunday September 28/29, 2013

Join the event on Facebook.

Contact Kait McIntyre kait.mcintyre@gmail.com to add your group to list of endorsers.

For more information, see full Midwest Action Against Drones (MAAD) website.

A project of the Anti-War Committee of Chicago.


Related posts:

There's been a lot of talk in recent weeks and months about the problem of gun trafficking in Illinois, and how we will never meet our goal of stopping the violence in our communities if we can't stop the flow of guns. Maybe it's time for us to eat our own dog food . . . .

(See What If Illinois Became a "War-Profiteer-Free Zone" ? )

What if we had a massive region in the heart of the country pushing back against the war-crazed conventional wisdom of "more weapons," "more consumption," and "more destruction of the environment"?

(See Another Modest Proposal: A Green, Demilitarized Midwest! )

 Do we really want the American heartland serving as the brain-trust for the U.S. global project of drone surveillance and killing?

Here is a round-up of research, development, and training activity connected to drones at Midwest colleges and universities. I've indicated those schools that are land-grant universities. There appears to be a high concentration of drone work at land-grant universities.

(See Do We Have a Drone Problem at Midwest Colleges and Universities? )

We're Pushing the Chicago Air & Water Show to be "War-Free"!

UPDATE: August 19, 2013 -- We had an outstanding day on Saturday at the Air and Water Show! There was an antiwar presence in at least three distinct locations:  east of the North Avenue Bridge with the Free Bradley Manning Contingent, representatives of the Anti-war Committee of Chicago, World Can't Wait, and allies from the north and west suburbs on the west side of the North Avenue Bridge, and members of Occupy Chicago on the bridge itself, as well at various places along the beach.

NOW . . . onward to the Midwest Action Against Drones!

Joe Scarry being interviewed by CCTV, the main network
in China. The replica of a Reaper drone behind him was
supplied by Know Drones.

"WAR is not a SPECTACLE!" banner from Occupy Chicago.

Free Bradley Manning!

*      *     *

Last year, people in Chicago used the occasion of the annual Air and Water Show to conduct a large-scale teach-in and protest about the need to stop U.S. militarism and warmongering, and in particular about the menace of drones.

The anti-war protesters will be flocking to the Chicago Air & Water Show again on August 17, 2013 -- on a day when the crowds will be experiencing their most war-free Chicago air show in years.

This will be an important follow-up to protests in Chicago during the April Days of Action Against Drones, and in the lead-up to the Midwest Action Against Drones (MAAD) in September.

Join the event on Facebook and come meet us on Saturday, August 17 at North Avenue bridge! You can read the full story below!

Fighter Jets Sidelined, and the Peacemakers Are Cheering

(Now, when can we make the Air & Water Show totally "war-free"?)

CHICAGO, August 15, 2013 - Proponents of reduced U.S. military activity and the elimination of war are cheering the announcement that the 2013 Chicago Air & Water Show will be free of the array of military hardware that has been featured in recent years. At the same time, they say, the event still has too much of a military flavor, and needs to do more to emphasize positive civilian and peaceful uses of aerospace technology.

"The fighter jets may not be there, but the military will still be there trying to recruit our young people," said Jay Becker, of Chicago World Can't Wait. "As a result, we need to be there in force to help kids understand the truth about enlistment agreements, what these wars are really all about, and what they can expect if they sign up -- which they won't hear from military recruiters."

Activists also point to the way Air & Water Show slants the event toward a pro-war message. "Chicago-based Boeing co-sponsors the event, and it is one of the largest military contractors in the world," pointed out Joe Iosbaker of the Anti-War Committee of Chicago. "Shell co-sponsors the event, and it is one of the principal beneficiaries of U.S. wars for oil in the Mideast."

Furthermore, activists caution that the new types of military hardware that are being used more and more often, such as drones, shouldn't be allowed to creep into the Air & Water Show. "I'll be there with the model Reaper drone that we use for public education," said Joe Scarry, whose Chicago-based No Drones Network is working with activists nationwide to increase awareness of the extent of roboticized surveillance and warfare. "When they cut out all the pro-war messaging, maybe I will be able to leave my anti-war teaching aids at home, too."

As they have in previous years, volunteers from these and other groups will be at the 2013 Chicago Air & Water Show on Saturday, August 17, to distribute anti-war information and to enlist new participants in their pro-peace efforts.


Related posts
 
Coming off our experience this past weekend once again protesting against drone killing, drone surveillance, and related acts of militarism at the Chicago Air and Water Show, I am more confirmed than ever in my view that air shows are a very effective place to get our message out to the public.

(See Why Air Shows Are a Very Effective Place to Protest Drone Killing and Drone Surveillance )