March 4 in Des Moines: Candlelight Vigil Against Drones (Shut Down Creech Solidarity)

Candlelight Vigil Against Drones
Wednesday, March 4 | 5:45pm - 6:30pm

3100 McKinley Ave, Des Moines (Iowa Air National Guard)

Join the event on Facebook and invite friends!

RIGHT NOW IN 2015 many additional bases in the US have become piloting centers for weaponized drones, which have killed thousands of people in countries with whom we are not at war. The Iowa Air National Guard — 132nd Attack Wing is one of these bases. Join us to say no to drones!

In solidarity with the March 4 -6, 2015
mobilization to Shut Down Creech!

Need more information? Contact: catholicpeaceministry@gmail.com

Sponsored by:

Catholic Peace Ministry
Veterans For Peace Chapters 161, 163, & 169
DM Catholic Worker
MFSA, IA Chapter
DM Ecumenical Committee for Peace
Iowa Peace Network
AFSC
WILPF

Join the event on Facebook and invite friends! 

Related posts

Iowa is resisting the establishment of a drone command center. As reported via a well-crafted video report in the Des Moines Register, over 100 Catholic Workers and members of Veterans for Peace, among other Iowans, arose on St. Patrick's day at the 132nd Air National Guard base to bear witness to those killed by drone warfare and to deliver an indictment to base commanders in protest of the base's conversion to one that will be used to pilot drones.

(See 7 Arrested delivering powerful indictment of drone warfare at 132nd division Air National Guard Base )

September 10: Des Moines Rally Against Drones with Medea Benjamin

Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink, is known world-wide as a tireless campaigner for peace and justice. She will be a presenter at the Drones Symposium at Grinnell College on Wednesday, September 10th at 4:15 PM. Prior to that, she will lead a rally at 10:00AM at the gates of the 132nd Iowa Air National Guard at the north side of the Des Moines airport.

The 132nd is being converted to a piloting and control center for Reaper Drones. Armed with Hellfire missiles, these drones may be used to assassinate people, combatants and civilians alike, in countries with whom the US is not at war.

Medea is the author of Drone Warfare: Killing By Remote Control

Iowa Must Not Pilot Reaper Drones

Rally at the Iowa Air National Guard 132nd Base

3100 McKinley Ave, Des Moines

Wednesday, September 10th

10AM – 10:45 AM

Speaker: Medea Benjamin

Related posts

Iowa is resisting the establishment of a drone command center, too. As reported via a well-crafted video report in the Des Moines Register, over 100 Catholic Workers and members of Veterans for Peace, among other Iowans, arose on St. Patrick's day at the 132nd Air National Guard base to bear witness to those killed by drone warfare and to deliver an indictment to base commanders in protest of the base's conversion to one that will be used to pilot drones.

(See 7 Arrested delivering powerful indictment of drone warfare at 132nd division Air National Guard Base )

On September 25, 2014, in Cedar Rapids, Brian Terrell of the Strangers and Guests Catholic Worker Farm will share about his experience in working towards nonviolence. Brian is one of the leading activists in the movement to end drone warfare.

(See September 25 - Catholic Worker Presentation with Brian Terrell)

Five big realizations I'm taking away from the 2013 CODEPINK Drone Summit "Drones Around the Globe: Proliferation and Resistance" in Washington, DC.

(See The 2013 DC Drones Conference: 5 Big Takeaways )

7 Arrested delivering powerful indictment of drone warfare at 132nd division Air National Guard Base

As reported via a well-crafted video report in the Des Moines Register, over 100 Catholic Workers and members of Veterans for Peace, among other Iowans, arose on St. Patrick's day at the 132nd Air National Guard base to bear witness to those killed by drone warfare and to deliver an indictment to base commanders in protest of the base's conversion to one that will be used to pilot drones.

The last F-16 flew from the 132nd ANG base in 2013.

7 were arrested and charged with criminal trespass as they delivered this indictment. Their statement:

Approaching the gates of the 132nd Air National Guard base.

"We come to the Des Moines Air National Guard base, today, as members of faith based and Catholic Worker communities and the Veterans for Peace who annually join for a week of nonviolent resistance to war and injustice.   This week, we aim to raise a call against the use of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) commonly known as drones.  We recognize that the slaughter of war always requires war makers to dehumanize the victims.  Reliance on drones exacerbates the dehumanization because the technology allows war makers to kill a target without identifying clearly who the person is or what the person has done or is doing.

Therefore today we bring to this base the faces of several who have been killed as well as the desire of a young Afghan friend who says, 'We want to live without war.'"

Demonstrators bore arresting images of the
 victims of drone warfare, many of them children.

The 7 arrested delivering this statement were Ruthie Cole, Eddie Bloomer, Elliot Adams, Julie Brown, Michelle Naar-Obed, Chet Guinn, Steve Clemens.

 Members of the broader faith community were present as well. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel said:

 "In a free society, few are guilty but all are responsible.  If weaponized drones are flown from this base, we, along with RPA crews, share responsibility for consequences including death of targeted victims and whatever trauma is sustained by those who operate the drones."

"These people here today would say that our use of weaponized drone warfare has been
 illegal and immoral. In addition it has been stupid, because it has created more enemies
 for the United States."-Ed Flaherty, President of the Iowa City chapter of Veterans for Peace

"Iowa Must Not Pilot Reaper Drones"

"Drones fly, children die." A sea of signs and flags surrounded the
 132nd ANG base in Des Moines on Monday.

ABC news also covered the demonstration 

This was just the beginning in a series of demonstrations and events throughout the country as part of the Spring Days of Drone Action. Click here to learn more.

St. Patrick's Day Rally at 132nd Attack Wing facility in Des Moines

St. Patrick is fabled to have banished all snakes from Ireland. Des Moines now suffers from an even greater blight: the new drone program at the 132nd Attack Wing facility of the air Iowa Air National guard. As reported in USA Today, drones piloted by the 132nd attack wing are being used for surveillance, reconnaissance, and attacks in places like Pakistan and Afghanistan.

St Patrick banishes the
 snakes from Ireland.

An even worse blight: Iowan complicity in drone strikes that kill civilians and
 perpetuate hatred against the U.S.

Over 100 Catholic Workers from throughout the Midwest, along with members of Veterans for Peace and other activists, will rally at the facility on Saturday, March 15 (10 - 11:15 am). This will be part of a St. Patrick’s Day weekend program that will include as speakers famous activists like Kathy Kelly, Elliott Adams and Daniel Hale. The theme will be “Chasing the snakes and drones out of Iowa…” 

For more information and to get involved, contact frank.cordaro@gmail.com

Des Moines: May 1, 2013, Protest Against Drones

The Iowa Air National Guard has a new mission: drones.

The grim reaper is thrilled.

The grim reaper in Iowa: "I LOVE DRONES"

On May 1, 2013, protests against drones were help outside the Iowa Air National Guard’s 132nd Fighter Wing:

Holding signs with phrases like, "Drones are for bagpipes," and "No more video game warfare," members of the Des Moines chapter of Veterans for Peace, the Des Moines Catholic Worker and Catholic Peace Ministry gathered to hear Robert Naiman, a Huffington Post columnist and policy director at Just Foreign Policy speak about the impending mission, which is intended to replace the current F-16 program.

"The military is trying to convince people in our community that this is just another business," Naiman said. "This is not just, well we lost manufacturing, now we have the military. This is a special kind of business that's about killing innocent people in other countries."

(Full story in the Des Moines Register, May 1, 2013: "Protesters hold anti-drone rally at Iowa's 132nd Fighter Wing" and Video: "Drone protest at Iowa Air National Guard Base")

For more information on upcoming protests against drones in Iowa, see: Summer Days: Covering Ground to Ground the Drones in Iowa with VCNV.


(Photos by Frank Coradaro and the Phil Berrigan CW House. View full photo gallery here.)

Des Moines Events Jan22, Jan23 as Iowa Joins National Anti-Drone Movement

Two events in Des Moines in coming days are sure to galvanize the resistance to killer drones there as Iowa joins the nationwide movement of resistance and protest:

A Report Back From Pakistan

With Leah Bolger, Pres. National Veterans for Peace. Leah Bolger is national president of Veterans for Peace. A commander in the US Navy, she retired in 2000 after a 20 year career. She recently returned from a trip to Pakistan, where she was part of a delegation of peace activists that joined a march with thousands of Pakistanis against the US/NATO drone attacks.

Date: Tuesday, Jan 22, 2013
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: Franklin Ave Library, 5000 Franklin Ave. Des Moines,IA

A Catholic Peace Ministry and Des Moines Veterans for Peace (VFP) #163 sponsored event.

For more info contact:

Jeffrey J Weiss
Catholic Peace Ministry
Phone: 515-255-8114
Email: jjwcpm@yahoo.com

Gilbert E. Landolt
President, Veterans for Peace (VFP) #163
Phone: 515-333-2180
Email: peacevet@hotmail.com



Kick Off of Iowa Unmanned Drone Campaign Vigil and News Conference

With Leah Bolger, Pres. National Veterans for Peace

Date: Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Time: 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Place: Main entrance of the Iowa Air National Guard’s 132nd Fighter
Wing Headquarters, located at Des Moines International Airport

For more info contact:

Gilbert E. Landolt
President, Veterans for Peace (VFP) #163
Phone: 515-333-2180
Email: peacevet@hotmail.com