On the afternoon of August 6, about 25 people gathered at the King of Prussia, Pennsylvania facility of Lockheed Martin to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and demonstrate against Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest war profiteer. The protesters stood side-by-side along the sidewalk, which was lined with bright banners. They waved peace flags, carried protest signs, and tolled the historic peace bell of the Brandywine Peace Community.

Musician Tom Mullian accompanied himself on the guitar and sang two of his songs about resistance and determination. Robert Smith, co-founder and coordinator of the Brandywine Peace Community, spoke briefly about the history of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the urgency of abolishing nuclear weapons, and the importance of persistence. 

Following the program, three of those present crossed onto Lockheed Martin property to carry the message of no more war and no nuclear weapons directly to the company’s employees. Paul Sheldon, Bob Smith and Fr. Pat Sieber, OSF were moved off the property by police and cited for trespassing.

Blockaders Shut Down Holloman AFB to “Put Our Bodies Between the Drones and the Children of Gaza” – One Arrested

Anti-drone activists from across the U.S. shut down the West Gate entrance at New Mexico’s Holloman Air Force Base early in the morning of April 23 for nearly an hour. The demonstration was part of the third annual “week of resistance” to the covert U.S. drone warfare program. 

Activists donned signs with names and ages of young Gazan children killed, and blocked traffic while chanting “15 thousand children killed in Gaza. No drones for genocide.”

One protester, Toby Blomé, was arrested after lying down on pavement in front of a stalled car when military police threatened to arrest her. She was ultimately handcuffed, detained, cited with a federal trespassing charge and released.

Photo by Jim Hannah

from PeaceWorks Kansas City

‘No new nukes!’ say resisters at Kansas City nuke plant

by Jane Stoever

Twenty-three peacemakers resisted nuclear weapons at dawn on May 19. Our signs, made May 18, declared, “No new nukes!” and “Stop escalating nuclear War!”

Why hold signs at dawn? That’s when workers come to make 80% of the electrical and mechanical parts for the nation’s nuclear arsenal at the Kansas City National Security Campus. In our backyard. In the heartland of America, the womb of U.S. nukes.

A few thousand workers drove past our signs into work. To our surprise, we got six honks for peace. Yes! And after six of us crossed the purple line marking the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) property, we chatted there with NNSA guards and Kansas City, Missouri  police.

Photo by Milo Chandler

from Lakenheath Alliance for Peace

At 9:30 a.m. on April 25, fourteen women, intersex, non-binary and trans activists (FINT) – aged from 24 to 91 – held a blockade of the main gate of USAF Lakenheath, denouncing the deadly entanglements between militarism, climate change, authoritarianism and genocide. Ten activists were topless with chains around their wrists and tape over their mouths to expose the vulnerability and silencing faced by FINT people under systems of war, climate collapse, and oppression. Their bodies were painted with the words “Violence,” “Displacement,” “Brutality,” “Exploitation,” “Silencing” and “Oppression”. They stood hand in hand forming a powerful image blockading the vast military complex. War and climate change are both strongly linked to gender-based violence around the world. Four activists, including two of our international participants, stood behind them displaying flags and a banner saying “Break The Chain”.