VIGILING AGAINST DRONES AT VOLK FIELD

Wisconsin citizens, organizing under the Wisconsin Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars, are joining other activists nationwide in Spring Days of Drone Action.  Actions, vigils, protests, lobbying, and educational efforts are taking place across the country to call attention to the illegal and immoral killer drone assassination program in which our government is engaged.

 

Wisconsinites have braved all sorts of weather to
 stand up against the injustice happening at Volk Field.

On Tuesday April 22, 2014 twelve Wisconsin residents converged at Volk Field, an Air National Guard base near Camp Douglas, WI where we have been vigiling monthly since December 2011. 

Volk Field plays an important role in the killer drone program by training pilots to fly the Shadow Drone used for surveillance and target acquisition.  The illegal drone program in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, and other places around the world continues to terrorize and kill thousands of innocent people.  

 

While those demonstrating
 were blocked from entry by a fence...

Soaring kites made their presence known
 to all within the base's boundaries

As we stood at the gate to the base, we read a criminal complaint against President Obama, Volk Field Commander Colonel Dave Romuald, and others at the base who are involved in the training of drone pilots.  Everyone present then signed the complaint.  We will be gathering more signatures on the complaint and then it will be brought to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Madison, WI and we will call for an investigation into war crimes taking place on the base.

 

"Do Not Follow Illegal Orders." The
 responsibility for drone terror lies
 with all those who make it possible,
 including us, if we stand by and
let it happen.

Other events in Wisconsin during Spring Days of Action against Drones include:

·         April 29 – All day – Lobby day against drones – Contacting members of Congress.

·         May 8 – 7:00 pm-9:30 pm – The Fountain, 122 State St., Screening of the film Unmanned: America’s Drone Wars followed by discussion.

·         May 17 – Protesting at Volk Field Open House.

·         April 28, May 5, May 9, May 19, and May 23 – Trials for five grandmothers who were arrested for peacefully attempting to deliver a letter to the commander of Volk Field in April 2013.  Trials will take place at Juneau County Courthouse in Mauston, WI.

·         Date to be determined – Delivery of criminal complaint against Obama and personnel at Volk Field who are engaged in drone program to US Attorney’s office in Madison.

For information on what is happening in Wisconsin, contact Joy at joyfirst5@gmail.com or Bonnie at blbb24@att.net

The Spring Days of Drone

 Action continue nationwide!

 CLICK HERE to learn more!

Vigil Against the Drones coming to Volk Field

JOIN NATIONWIDE SPRING DAYS OF ACTION AGAINST KILLER DRONES

VIGIL AGAINST THE DRONES

OUTSIDE THE GATES OF CAMP WILLIAMS/VOLK FIELD

TUESDAY APRIL 22, 2014      3:30-4:30 pm

Dear Friends,

People across the country are coming together and speaking out against the killer drones in April and May as part of the SPRING DAYS OF ACTION AGAINST DRONES.

 

Recent vigil against drone terror at Volk Field

We have been vigiling monthly at Volk Field for more than two years.  As reported by Medea Benjamin of Code Pink, the work that we, and other activists around the country are doing, is having an impact. 

• A number of organizations, from the World Council of Churches to the European Union, have come out against killing by drones. 
• The National Organization for Drone Victims has been organized by friends and families of drone strike victims in Yemen. 
• The UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution calling for transparency in drone strikes and organizing a panel of experts to address the legal issues, despite the US boycotting the talks.
• Ben Emmerson, UN Special Rapporteur on Terrorism released a report concluding that nations using drones must provide a “public explanation of the circumstances and a justification for the use of deadly force.”
• Actions are going on in many parts of the country from California to New England.

Without our continued dedication, these developments would not have taken place. 

WE NEED YOU NOW TO JOIN IN THE CONTINUING STRUGGLE, putting pressure on the Obama Administration to end this targeted assassination program.

If you can’t make the vigil at Camp Williams/Volk Field every month, please try to make the April 22 vigil and so we can show the country that Wisconsin says NO to drone warfare.

This is a legal vigil where we will be standing on public property.  As always, it will be solemn, remembering the victims of US government drone attacks. 

Other upcoming events here in Wisconsin for Spring Days of Action against Drones:

• Thursday May 8 – 7::00-9:30 pm – Fountain – 122 State St. Madison – Screening of the film “Unmanned: America’s Drone Wars”.  Discussion to follow.
• Saturday May 17 – Time to be announced – Volk Field – Open house at Volk Field will give us a chance to be there and educate the public.
• Look for information on filing a criminal complaint against Obama and personnel at Volk Field involved in the drone program with the US Attorney’s office in Madison.
• Look for information on lobbying our members of Congress to end drone warfare.

Fly kites, not drones!

To get to Volk Field, take the Camp Douglas exit off Interstate 90/94 between Mauston and Tomah.  When you exit take County Rd. C to the northeast.  You will see the base straight ahead, but follow County Rd. C to the right and within a few blocks is a picnic wayside.  Since the wayside is closed for the winter, we will park on the side of the road.

We will gather at the wayside between 3:00-3:15 for introductions and to review the plan for the vigil, and then process together to the gates of the base where we will hold a solemn vigil for one hour to remember those killed by drones.  It is important that the voices of the victims be brought to the gates of Volk Field.

Bring posters if you can.  Bring a kite if you want to and FLY KITES NOT DRONES.

Please try to carpool.  If you’re in the Madison area, we will meet in the parking lot of East Towne Mall between JC Penney and the Firestone Auto Care Store.   Be there around 1:20 so we can take as few cars as possible and be on the road by 1:30.

We hope to see you at the vigil on Tuesday April 22.  If you can’t come this time, mark your calendar for the 4^th Tuesday of every month and join us when you can.  If you have any questions please call or email Joy at 608 239-4327 or joyfirst5@gmail.com or Bonnie at 608-256-5088 or bblock@charter.net .

The nationwide Spring Days
of Drone Action continue!
CLICK HERE to learn more
 about actions in your state!

Write or Call Your Member of Congress Today: Make the U.S. Come Clean on Drone Killings

Wisconsin has been a hotbed of in-the-streets vigils, marchs, die-ins, and other protests against drone killings -- as can clearly be seen in the posts on this blog.

Today, people protesting drones are contacting their representatives to encourage support for H.R.4372: the Targeted Lethal Force Transparency Act. If passed, the bill will require the Obama administration to come clean about the killings it has carried out using drones -- killings that, up until now, the administration has been able to pretend don't exist.

So now's the time: write or call your member of Congress today. 

To determine what district you live in, go to http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

To see an example of a constituent letter, see An Open Letter to Congressman Mike Quigley on H.R.4372: the Targeted Lethal Force Transparency Act


Wisconsin Congressional Delegation

(Members of the Progressive Caucus are presumed to lean in favor of the bill and are marked Progressive Caucus.)

WI01 - Paul Ryan - (202) 225-3031 email
WI02 - Mark Pocan - 202-225-2906 email (Progressive Caucus)
WI03 - Ron Kind - 202) 225-5506 email
WI04 - Gwen Moore - (202) 225-4572 email (Progressive Caucus)
WI05 - James Sensenbrenner - (202) 225-5101 email
WI06 - Thomas Petri - (202) 225-2476 email
WI07 - Sean Duffy - (202) 225-3365 email
WI08 - Reid Ribble - (202) 225-5665 email

[SEE: hub page for all Resources to SUPPORT the "Come Clean on Drone Killings" Act (Schiff/Jones HR 4372: the Targeted Lethal Force Transparency Act)]

Related posts

First Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) called the U.S. on the carpet for dodging the call from the international community to come clean about its drone killings. Then Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Walter Jones (R-NC) submitted a bill calling for drone transparency. So ... are we finally going to get the truth?

(See REAL Progressives Demand that the U.S. Come Clean on Drone Killings)

A 2013 U.N. report makes it clear that the U.S. has to report fully on all its drone attacks.

(See 2014: The Year of Transparency (for U.S. Drone Use)?)

The reason the Administration is hiding truth about drones is that they don't have a satisfactory answer for how decisions about drone strikes are made.  As we have known all along, we need the public to think about how crummy the whole drone program is, and then they will be ready to be on our side. The best way to get them really thinking is to shine a spotlight on the secrecy, evasiveness, and deceit involved in the U.S. drone program.

(See Drone Killings: Come Clean )