Drone Against The Drones

Hastings Against War has organised this peaceful protest against the use of military drones. Drone Against the Drones takes place at 6.30pm on Thursday 4 June. Want to attend? Meet at the pier for a public demonstration and then march to The Royal Standard in the Old Town for music and speeches.  This local public demonstration is part of an ongoing national campaign, leading to a week of action in October. 

Robert Hill of HAW writes: “A ‘sustained musical note played simultaneously by a crowd armed with musical instruments’ is the piece of collaborative spontaneous street art which was created by Hastings residents in September last year; when protesters took to the streets in the first ever Drone Against Drones event – a street action designed to highlight the menace of armed unmanned aircraft, which have caused widespread civilian deaths in recent years, from Afghanistan to Gaza.

“A group of people armed with musical instruments gathered on Hastings seafront and played, or sang, sustained notes for as long as they could. The resulting drone drew the attention of passers-by and gave an opportunity to raise awareness of this issue, and create a media splash.

“No musical ability is required for this action, just concern about this new way to wage warfare and the rising death-toll it’s causing. As drones become a new norm in warfare, Stop The War Coalition, CND, and other campaining groups are encouraging their members to take to the streets and stage their own Drone Against Drones event; and by so doing they will be taking part in a nationwide action on the 4th June, International Child Victims of Aggression Day, to raise awareness and remember all the children who have been killed by armed drones, as well as the psychological trauma which drones cause by terrorising some of the poorest communities in the world.

Children who live under drones say they endure nightmares, and feel suffocated by the imminent threat of a remote controlled vehicle which could lash out without warning, a decision made thousands of miles away, in another continent.”

Imagine…

Just take a few moments to imagine what it might be like to live somewhere where military drone technology is in use. After all, if we are using this weaponry against other countries’ citizens, why should they not feel it would be okay to use it against us?

Imagine… you look into the sky and see a drone. This drone is not only for surveillance and observation purposes – bad enough, surely? – but has the capacity to kill or injure you. Take a moment to think how that might feel. You might be a target. You might just be caught up in the cross-fire. So might your children.

Child Victims of Aggression Day

Why 4 June? It’s International Child Victims of Aggression Day. “So far, hundreds of children have been killed by drone strikes in Afghanistan, Gaza, Pakistan, Yeman and Somalia”, states HAW, “and with armed drones being flown over Iraq, Syria, Libya and Egypt, there are many unknown incidents and deaths which haven’t been recorded.

The words from the poster above:

“With drone technology rapidly expanding, this way of warfare is most definitely heading towards remote controlled killing, whereby people are targeted and executed from thousands of miles away. This is a dehumanised method of killing people – and civilians are so often victimised by it, as the most ‘accurate strike’ will spray shrapnel into the general vicinity, while perhaps collapsing nearby buildings and starting fires.

“The use of armed drones is radicalising people in both the Middle East, Central Asia and also here at home. Covert drone strikes on civilians and their homes are leading people to despise the West and retaliate with violence as a form of resistance.

“Drones are massively escalating the cycle of violence. The war on terror has already claimed 1.3 million deaths in the last 13 years, whilst the Director of the CIA, John Brennan, recently stated that this war does not look likely to end anytime soon.”

Bring placards, enthusiastic energy, a hearty voice and instruments. All welcome! Check out the Facebook page here – and spread the word!

Ideas for practical support? Need more info? Get in touch with Hastings Against War. Or better still, attend their meeting on Tuesday 2 June, 7.30 pm at The Friends Meeting House, 5 South Terrace, Hastings TN34 1SA. Ground floor, easy access. All welcome.

For up-to-date information on Armed Unmanned Vehicles (AUVs), check out the Drone Wars website.

Hastings Against War is a member of the Drones Campaign Network.

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