Walk to Peace Arrives at Gates of Beale AFB Bearing Memories of Drone Warfare Victims

The Walk to Peace arrived at the Gates of Beale
 Air Force Base, from which the Global Hawk
 Surveillance Drones are piloted, on Tuesday 5/27.

They bore with them the stories of the many innocents
 killed and terrorized by U.S. drone warfare. 

They left white chalk outlines on the ground in
 front of the gates, recreating the scene of a drone
 massacre as testaments to the dead.

Veterans for Peace was a major sponsor of the Walk to Peace,
 which was planned by Occupy Beale AFB. 

A posture of submission emphasized the helplessness
 of those made victims of U.S. imperial might.

Killed shamelessly by hellfire missiles while trying to flee.

The Peace Walkers appeared formidable as, standing at the
 gates, they took up a cry of righteous anger.

Festooning the gates with pink garlands on
 which were written the names of drone victims. 

The ten-day walk from San Francisco to Beale may have come
 to an end, but our collective Walk to Peace continues. Join us.

Drone Strike Kills 7 in San Diego

Last weekend, California was alive with anti-drone ferment. While the Walk to Peace, a 10 day sojourn to Beale Air Force Base, set off across the San Francisco Bay, activists in San Diego held a weekend of demonstrations in solidarity with the nationwide Spring Days of Drone Action. One feature of the weekend was an evocative and powerful street theatre performance in San Diego's Balboa park, simulating a drone attack on American soil like those that have been and continue to be deadly reality in Pakistan and Yemen. Click here to stream video of the event.

The simulated Hellfire missile
 was lowered from above.

Balboa Park soon became a grisly scene indeed.

When Drones Fly, Children Die. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism 
has documented over 200 children confirmed killed by U.S. drone strikes.

What if they were our children?

Nearly five thousand people have been confirmed killed by
 drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen alone.

Those killed by U.S. drone strikes leave behind families and
 communities that are traumatized by their absence and
 by the randomness and violence of their slaughter.

Photos by Cristie Ann Paris

Thank you for bringing the consequences of U.S. drone policy
 home so vividly in San Diego, the home of General Atomics
 and many other military contractors that profit from drone terrorism.

The Spring Days of Drone Action continue throughout
 California and nationwide! Click here for more information.

Walk to peace crosses the bay.

Report of Walk to Peace, Day 1:  

UPDATE: The day was featured in a fantastic article on Popular Resistance.

We met at the Golden Gate Bridge and walked to the center of with banners & flags. It was very crowded so a lot of people cheered our signs.

Symbolically beginning the march from the center of the Golden
Gate Bridge, to head south and east then cross the bay by ferry.

Toby Blomé of Code Pink, Braving the
winds to hold aloft our message.

The bridge looks like a utopian monument to peace in this context.

"One people, one Earth. Stop Drone Attacks."

Bearing the standards of Peace.

Devan Phenix

Walked through Fisherman's Wharf and on to the Ferry Building where members of World Can't Wait greeted us with a scale model of an armed Reaper Drone, the model that continues to torment and kill in Pakistan and Yemen.

We took the ferry to Vallejo for the first night of our journey. A wonderful activist, Barbara, put us up for the night, presenting a delicious vegetarian meal. Tomorrow, we set out for day 2, 15 miles to the west side of Fairfield.

 Peace.

The Walk to Peace continues, and the Spring Days of Drone
 Action continue nationwide. Click here to
 find out about events in your state.

"We Will Not Raise Our Children to Kill the Children of Other Mothers!"

MOTHER'S DAY MARCH FOR PEACE

      CODEPINK Monthly Golden Gate Bridge Walk 

                  Sunday, May 11, 2013, NOON

     

Mother's Day, 2013, Golden Gate Bridge

Reclaim the original meaning of the day:   

"We Will Not Raise Our Children to Kill the Children of Other Mothers!"  

Join us to reclaim the original meaning behind Mother's Day:

From the Civil War era, Mother's Day was created to unite women of the world to organize and promote peaceful solutions to conflict.  

This Mother's Day please join us on the Golden Gate Bridge.  Bring your mothers and daughters, your sons and fathers, your grandchildren, friends and neighbors to honor our history, and celebrate our passion for PEACE!

Wear pink or come as you are, but come in the spirit of unity for nonviolence.

Bring signs ( 2x3 ft. or smaller)......wooden sticks/poles are now permitted.

Some Suggested Messages:  

-Mother's Day:  A Day for Peace 

-ABOLISH WAR

-Mothers Say No War

-DRONES KILL CHILDREN

-Mothers for Peace 

11:45 am:  Gather at the SF or Marin end of the eastern walkway of the Golden Gate Bridge.

                   Parking available on all 4 "corners",  just remember to take

                   the last exit on hwy 101 as you approach the bridge, or the

                   first exit after you leave the bridge.

Noon:          Walk on the eastern walkway from the north or south ends, 

                   to converge in the middle.  

1:30pm      Rally on SF side after the bridge walk:

   Mike Check, Reading of Julia's MOTHER'S DAY PROCLAMATION

Bring your children, your mothers, friends, relatives and your LOVE!

                  BE GREEN AND CARPOOL

grow in peace,

Toby  Blome

ratherbenyckeling@comcast.net

510-215-5974

Contact me to arrange carpooling

Let us not forget:

Wedding Party Victims, Yemen, December 12, 2014

                                                       

MORE ON MOTHER'S DAY HISTORY:

In response to the carnage of the Civil War, Julia Ward Howe's 1870 Mother's Day Proclamation declared:               

              Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
              All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
              We, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country
              To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs........Disarm, Disarm!

Some creative readings of the full Mother's Day Proclamation:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdI1mx9Q3sA

      

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnwEK_8YxTw

       

                                               

Julia Ward Howe, the
 originator of Mother's Day

                                         

Howe called for women of all nations to work together for a more peaceful world.

In honor of Julia Ward Howe, and in solidarity with all the mothers of the world who are suffering today from the carnage of wars in Afghanistan, Palestine, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and elsewhere in the world, we invite mothers and their loved ones to join us this Mother's Day to walk united against war.  We will read Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation, and sing and rally for peace following the march.  We will distribute flyers to educate the public about the history of Mother's Day. 

The Spring Days of Drone Action
 continue through May nationwide!
CLICK HERE for more information!

Occupy Beale AFB Update: The ultimate right is the right to life!

13 Protestors, Including 6 Veterans, Arrested Protesting Drones at Beale AFB Tuesday; Tried to Deliver Letter Charging Obama, Beale Base Commander with 'Crimes Against Humanity'

A protester testifies to the pain
 caused by drone killing.

 Main Gate:  7 arrested

Wheatland Gate:  6 arrested

MARYSVILLE/BEALE AFB – Six military veterans were among 13 people arrested at Beale Air Force Base here early Tuesday morning as they attempted to deliver an "indictment" charging President Obama, the Beale base commander, drone pilots and others with "crimes against peace and crimes against humanity."

Main gate: 7 arrested

Wheatland gate: 6 arrested

 All 13 demonstrators – who were handcuffed about 8 a.m. – were released after about two hours with misdemeanor charges. They are to appear in U.S. District Court. They face up to six months in prison.

Demonstrators being arrested at a Beale gate.

Blocking the gate with a banner depicting
 children murdered by drones.

Traffic was temporarily backed up
 over a great distance at both gates!

 The "Veterans Spring Days Drone Action" temporarily blocked traffic at the two busiest gates entering Beale AFB, the home to Global Hawk (Surveillance drone), the U2 and the MC12 Liberty aircraft, all participants in the so-called "war on terror." They have been complicit in the deaths and injuries thousands of innocent civilians.

 

In standing in the way of those driving in to participate
 in drone killing, demonstrators hoped to halt the
 drone warfare machine, however briefly.

"Drone Warfare Fosters Hate"

Many of those arrested were Veterans for Peace

This is the most people arrested in a single action at Beale AFB. Dozens have been arrested protesting drones at Beale AFB in the past year, including more than a dozen people and members of the clergy on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday this year. Three federal trials have been held – and earlier this month a lone protestor was found not guilty in U.S. Court in Sacramento.

 The Indictment delivered Tuesday says, in part:

"WE, THE PEOPLE, CHARGE THE UNITED STATES PRESIDENT, BARACK OBAMA AND THE FULL MILITARY CHAIN OF COMMAND INCLUDING COMMANDER COLONEL PHILLIP A. STEWART, EVERY DRONE CREW, AND SERVICE MEMBER AT BEALE AIR FORCE BASE WITH CRIMES AGAINST PEACE & CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, WITH VIOLATIONS OF THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND, EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS, VIOLATION OF DUE PROCESS, WARS OF AGGRESSION, VIOLATION OF NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY, AND KILLING OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS..."

Of the 13 arrested, 6 were veterans and 3 others had never done civil resistance before!

Big thanks to arrestees:

Veterans for Peace: Barry Binks, Michael Kerr, John Rieger, Cres Velluci, Richard Gilchrist, Ted Sexaur 

Non-veterans: Devan Phenix, Bev Fitzpatrick, Fred Bialy, Shirley Osgood, Pamela Osgood, Catherine Hourcade and Cathy Webster

And special thanks to Barry Binks for organizing it all!

Please join us whenever you can and help 

it to grow! Photos, video and more here.

May 17-27:  WALK TO PEACE with us, To Resist Global Militarization and Drone Warfare

We will walk from San Francisco to Beale AFB.  Please join all or part.....we need support crew too! Any help offered will be very welcomed!  More details soon.Visit the Occupy Beale AFB page for more information.

The Spring Days of Drone Action are
 in full swing all throughout the nation. Join us!

San Diego “Drone Days of Action”

May 15-17, 2014

 
Join us in San Diego, May 15, 16 and 17, 2014
for action and education against US global drone wars, drones violating civil liberties, and the US “pivot to the Pacific”

San Diego continues to be the US capital of spy and killer drone production

Stand Up and Speak Out! 

THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY, following last year’s “No Drones Days” in April, to be a part of moving this nation away from mechanized warfare and military empire, toward a better future!

During April Days of Action 2013, a graphic display
 of the civilian murder perpetrated by U.S. drones. 

Morning street theatre at the home of General Atomics CEO
 Neil Blue during April Days of Action 2013

- PLANNED EVENTS -

Thursday May 15

·        4-7 PM – San Diego Veterans for Peace Demonstration: Federal Building, Front and Broadway, downtown San Diego; Street Theater staged aerial “drone attack” by Artful Activist San Diego

·        8 PM – 9:30 PM – Overpass Light Brigade, light/sign demonstration at Clairemont Drive overpass at I-5 freeway

 Friday May 16

·        8 – 10 AM – Demonstration, including street theater against drones, Northrop Grumman, 9326 Spectrum Center Blvd. and Ruffin Road, San Diego 92123

·        4-6 PM – Women Occupy San Diego, Demonstration at SPAWAR, Pacific Highway (gather at 3:30 at parking lot of Old Town transit center, Pacific Hwy. just south of Rosecrans/Tayor St.)

Saturday May 17

·        9:30 AM – 2 PM – Stop the Drones Convergence!   Registration 9:30 AM; 10 AM – 2 PM:  Issues panel, break-out groups to discuss and plan NEXT STEPS! First Church of the Brethren, 3850 Westgate Place, SD 92105 

2014 Anti-Drone Days of Action is a collaborative action of:

San Diego Coalition for Peace & Justice; Peace Resource Center of San Diego; Veterans for Peace San Diego Chapter; San Diego Overpass Light Brigade; Women Occupy San Diego (WOSD); Occupy San Diego; Artful Activist San Diego; Canvass for a Cause (CFAC); Back Country Voices; San Diego Alliance for Marriage Equality (SAME); San Diego BDS; United Against Police Terror San Diego; Green Party of San Diego; Code Pink; San Diego International Socialist Organization  (Contact us if your group would like to be a sponsor).

For more info/action updates: www.sdcpj.org  info@sdcpj.orgnodrones@prcsd.org  https://www.facebook.com/events/630247980379475/

The nationwide Spring Days of Drone
 Action continue! CLICK HERE to learn more.