San Diego: Protests of Drone Maker General Atomics Go Global

Members of the San Diego chapter of Veterans for Peace (VFP) and a growing body of fellow protesters gather every week at the headquarters of the company that supplies the workhorse of the U.S. program of drone killing and drone surveillance -- the Predator and Reaper drones. Their goal in demonstrating outside the General Atomics facility is to heighten public awareness of the problems presented by drone technology, and to instigate oversight of drone use.

Thursday, September 27, will be special because the group will be coordinating the protest with their counterparts in the United Kingdom. As protesters here in San Diego gather at Scripps-Poway Pkwy and General Atomic Rd., people in London will be protesting at the General Atomic offices near the UK Ministry of Defense. (Learn more about the UK movement against drones and the week of action to protest the growing use of armed drones from 6th – 13th October, organized by the Drones Campaign Network.)

DRONES PROTEST AT GENERAL ATOMICS

Date: Thursday, September 27, 2012
Time: 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Location: Scripps-Poway Pkwy and General Atomic Rd., San Diego
More information: dpatterson998 [at] yahoo.com

Bring banners and signs!

PRESS COVERAGE OF PAST PROTESTS AT GENERAL ATOMICS

KPBS San Diego, August 16, 2012 - Drones Are Controversial But Profitable For San Diego - Good snapshot of the drone economy in the San Diego area -- General Atomics, Northrop Grumman, and several smaller contractors. Quotes Dave Patterson from VFP: "“People need jobs, and that’s a good paying job,” he said. ”But we need oversight of these products. There’s no oversight. They are just kind of run amuk!"

North County Times editorial, September 16, 2012 - Drones and our privacy - "Ultimately, the courts will decide the constitutional limitations on the domestic use of drones. But the courts look to Congress for guidance; Congress is the direct representative of the American people, and needs to weigh in on these difficult issues. And soon."

Gail Chatfield in the North County Times, September 10, 2012 - Domestic drones a threat - "The sudden use of military surveillance equipment to spy on private citizens in the U.S. is frightening and controversial. ... When government and private industry are given more and more tools to track and control its citizens, is the system ripe for abuse?"

Gail Chatfield in the North County Times, September 16, 2012 - Liberty demands oversight on drone use - "I doubt that our founding fathers could have imagined that 250 years after the formation of out great nation, the president would have the power to kill people without authorization from Congress, or oversight of any kind. This should deeply worry all Americans. On our borders, Homeland security is flying 20 of the Predator drones, and if local law enforcement wants them to put someone's private property under surveillance, Homeland Security is happy to help out. Big pipe technology is advertised where high-resolution video or sensor data can be collected and shared with "select" law enforcement and government officials. We are asking, who are these "select" officials and what are they doing with video taken over our private land? "


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Video: Drone Demonstration, Vets for Peace

MAP: Scripps-Poway Pkwy and General Atomic Rd., San Diego






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