Marchers Protest Syracuse Drone Base

war peace drone march protest aircraft base weapons

100 or more marchers walked over 3 miles through Syracuse, New York on April 25 to protest the use of Hancock Air Field as a base of control for the unmanned aerial drones being used to attack targets in Afghanistan and Pakistan. A drone is a small propeller driven remote controlled aircraft. It has no pilot or gunner. It is controlled by video and computers from the other side of the world. The “pilot” can sit down at what looks like a video game console, destroy an entire village, and then go home. Meanwhile those in the village that was hit, if they survived, have no home to go to. The event was organized by the Syracuse Peace Council and brought in supporters from Albany, Utica, Watertown, Binghamton, Ithaca, Rochester, Buffalo and New York City.

Drones were originally designed for reconnaissance and equipped only with cameras. But newer drones like the Reaper and Predator models can carry up to 1000 pounds of bombs or missiles. Once fired these weapons can't distinguish a civilian from a military target. Up to 90 percent of the casualties of drone attacks are civilians. Many of the demonstrators carried toy airplanes on sticks depicting the drones. Some were “flown” by helium balloons. While the actual drones are operated much like radio-controlled models, they are far from being toys. They are really weapons of mass destruction.

Josh Karpoff, an electrical engineer, warned about the weaponization of robotic technology. “Just ask anyone who owns a Toyota.” The drones are even more failure-prone than that. As many as 38 percent become “lost.” Plans are to test them over the Adirondack State Park. Petitions were signed to Governor Patterson not to allow testing over civilian airspace. Representative Dan Maffei, whose district includes the Hancock base, was elected as an antiwar candidate. He is not opposing the drones.

The march was followed by a rally and speakers. Everyone remained despite the rain that was starting to fall. Professor Horace Campbell of Syracuse University spoke of upstate New York's history of activism for peace and justice. “It is the home of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman.” He also questioned the ethics of “academics who use their brains to carry out wars of terrorism.” “The question is: Who are the terrorists?”

One of the justifications for the use of drones is to “protect” American pilots. Studies have shown that it does not protect them from Post Traumatic Stress, and in some cases is exacerbates the problem. The crew of a jet powered F16 or B1 is miles away by the time the ordinance they dropped explodes. But the slow-moving drones with their high resolution cameras are still close enough to relay images of the carnage home in real-time.

No one talks much about drone attacks, and it appears to be “blacklisted” by the News Media. How much of the American population even know what drones are, or what they do? But actions like this one are having an effect. A similar march last November spooked base commander Colonel Kevin Bradley to say he was being “harassed by peacenicks” and order base personnel not to be photographed. We need demand an answer from the news media “Why are you being silent?”

The event was followed by a meeting of the Syracuse Peace Council and other groups. Future actions were discussed including a possible on October 7 event which will be the 9th anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan. The city of Binghamton is planning on displaying a “war clock” to track casualties. Environmental groups in Buffalo are planning events to raise awareness of the environmental impact of depleted uranium and chemicals such as white phosphorus. In Rochester, Students for a Democratic Society and Rochester Against War have held three successful “Funk the War” events. Syracuse plans to hold an event on May 16, the anniversary of the partitioning of Palestine. “We need to stop these wars right now and pursue long term, non-violent resolutions.”

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