Beale AFB Protest: Enough Drone Killing

On Tuesday, Sept. 27, the very day 5 activists who were arrested at Beale AFB for protesting endless wars and illegal drone killing, a U.S. Drone attack killed 13 civilians and wounded 14 others in Afghanistan. Initially the Pentagon claimed that most of those killed were “suspected militants,” but a day later they are admitting to most or all being civilians. This was the second bungled US airstrike in a little over a week. The previous airstrike hit a Afghan police checkpoint killing eight of them. ENOUGH DRONE KILLING!

Sharon Delgado one of those arrested reports: This morning I was arrested with four other women at Beale Air Force Base after crossing onto base property.   We were taken by military bus to a building on base, given citations, and released.  We may be given an arraignment date and we may go to trial, although in recent months all charges for peace activists have been dismissed.

We were wearing blue scarves and we had #enough written on our hands because we took this action in solidarity the Afghan Peace Volunteers and their blog Our Journey to Smile.  Afghan Peace Volunteers is a group of young people working for peace in Afghanistan.   I became aware of them when peace activist Kathy Kelly came with us to Beale a couple of years ago.  Our blue scarves and the #enough banners and words written on our hands are a response to their invitation “Join us to say #enough.”

Before we were arrested, each of us explained what we have had enough of.  I explained that I have had enough of drone warfare.  (Beale is the home of the Global Hawk Drone, a surveillance drone that identifies targets for armed Predator and Reaper drones.)  I have also had enough of the U.S. Air Force Vision for 2020, which is geared toward “full spectrum dominance” for the purpose of “protecting U.S. interests and investments” as “the globalization of the world economy… continues, with a widening between “haves” and “have-nots.”  I have had enough of the U.S. military enforcing a global order that is enriching the already wealthy, protecting the privileged, exploiting those who are vulnerable, causing massive suffering, and destroying this beautiful earth.  #Enough war. #Enough “accidental” (or incidental) killing of children.  #Enough suffering.  #Enough extrajudicial killing.  #Enough.

We also took this action in coordination with the Campaign Nonviolence Week of Actions.  Over 700 separate Campaign Nonviolence Actions have taken place in recent days.”

 Marcus another Beale protester writes: Campaign Nonviolence helped coordinate over 750 public actions for peace, mostly in the USA, in opposition to military and other forces of extreme violence on earth. Hundreds were arrested in these activities, including five elder women at Beale Air Force Base near Marysville, CA. The anti-robotic warfare activists were all from Northern California, as were most of the other pro-justice demonstrators at Beale. Two were from Butte County and two from Nevada County. Other folks including people from the Bay Area and the Sierra Nevada mountains were part of the local coordinated effort which included a camp out at the entrance to Beale AFB. Many were part of the #ENOUGH movement for justice in opposition to US bombings of innocent civilians. Over a dozen people were present at last night’s peace  vigil and this morning’s vigil, with only five arrested at 7:30am today: Rev. Sharon Delgado of Nevada City, Shirley O of Grass Valley, Toby Blome of El Cerrito, Cathy W of Chico, and Chris Nelson of Chico.