Clare Grady (hands up) and her sister, Mary Anne Flores-Grady (on the left) are being arrested for protesting against drones, at the Thompson Road entrance to the New York Air National Guard. (Ellen M. Blalock / The Post-Standard)
Oct 25, 2012
Sixteen people were arrested outside the National Guard Hancock Field in Dewitt, New York Thursday morning after blocking the entrance to three gates leading into the airbase from which US predator drones are remotely controlled for overseas missions in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and elsewhere.
The individuals taken into custory will be charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct, Onondaga County Sheriff's Lt. Curt Dailey told local press reporters. Protesters who were not risking arrest held signs up for passing cars, reading: "Bombing People Creates Terrorism"; "Drone war crimes: wars of aggression"; and "We will not be complicit in our government's war crimes."
One protester, a US army veteran who participated in the invasion of Iraq in 2003, interviewed at the scene gave his reasons why he is against the US drone program:
As the Syracuse Post-Standard reports:
Protesters arrived at the base at about 8 a.m. They blocked the main entrance, preventing cars and trucks from coming in while county deputies, DeWitt police and New York State Police conferred by a large sign marking the entrance to the base.
A second group of protesters stood across the street holding signs and yelling over the morning traffic.
A smaller number of protesters were at the other two entrances.
Hancock has been the target of several anti-drones protests in recent months and earlier, including:
- October 5, 2012:10 Protesters Arrested at NY Drone Base
- April 23, 2012:33 Arrested Outside Drone Base in New York State
- April 23, 2011:37 Arrested at Hancock Air Base near Syracuse Protesting Use of Drones
# # #
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sixteen people were arrested outside the National Guard Hancock Field in Dewitt, New York Thursday morning after blocking the entrance to three gates leading into the airbase from which US predator drones are remotely controlled for overseas missions in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and elsewhere.
The individuals taken into custory will be charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct, Onondaga County Sheriff's Lt. Curt Dailey told local press reporters. Protesters who were not risking arrest held signs up for passing cars, reading: "Bombing People Creates Terrorism"; "Drone war crimes: wars of aggression"; and "We will not be complicit in our government's war crimes."
One protester, a US army veteran who participated in the invasion of Iraq in 2003, interviewed at the scene gave his reasons why he is against the US drone program:
As the Syracuse Post-Standard reports:
Protesters arrived at the base at about 8 a.m. They blocked the main entrance, preventing cars and trucks from coming in while county deputies, DeWitt police and New York State Police conferred by a large sign marking the entrance to the base.
A second group of protesters stood across the street holding signs and yelling over the morning traffic.
A smaller number of protesters were at the other two entrances.
Hancock has been the target of several anti-drones protests in recent months and earlier, including:
- October 5, 2012:10 Protesters Arrested at NY Drone Base
- April 23, 2012:33 Arrested Outside Drone Base in New York State
- April 23, 2011:37 Arrested at Hancock Air Base near Syracuse Protesting Use of Drones
# # #
Sixteen people were arrested outside the National Guard Hancock Field in Dewitt, New York Thursday morning after blocking the entrance to three gates leading into the airbase from which US predator drones are remotely controlled for overseas missions in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and elsewhere.
The individuals taken into custory will be charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct, Onondaga County Sheriff's Lt. Curt Dailey told local press reporters. Protesters who were not risking arrest held signs up for passing cars, reading: "Bombing People Creates Terrorism"; "Drone war crimes: wars of aggression"; and "We will not be complicit in our government's war crimes."
One protester, a US army veteran who participated in the invasion of Iraq in 2003, interviewed at the scene gave his reasons why he is against the US drone program:
As the Syracuse Post-Standard reports:
Protesters arrived at the base at about 8 a.m. They blocked the main entrance, preventing cars and trucks from coming in while county deputies, DeWitt police and New York State Police conferred by a large sign marking the entrance to the base.
A second group of protesters stood across the street holding signs and yelling over the morning traffic.
A smaller number of protesters were at the other two entrances.
Hancock has been the target of several anti-drones protests in recent months and earlier, including:
- October 5, 2012:10 Protesters Arrested at NY Drone Base
- April 23, 2012:33 Arrested Outside Drone Base in New York State
- April 23, 2011:37 Arrested at Hancock Air Base near Syracuse Protesting Use of Drones
# # #
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.