The Hancock Show Trials: Quashing Dissent Against America's Criminal Drone Killing Program

A very important series of trials is proceeding in the coming weeks in a small court house in upstate New York.

These trials follow in a line of previous trials of peace activists who have been working to stop the commission of war crimes by the drone kill chain, part of which is based a Hancock Air Force Base.

What is particularly significant about the upcoming trials is that they are part of a government plan to put a chill, once and for all, on citizens' exercise of Constitutional rights.  The citizens rely on Bill of Rights protections, Constitutional provisions about civilian control over the military, and the international treaties covering conduct of war and human rights, to which the United States is a party. The position of the government is that no dissent will be tolerated, and that the severity of the penalties for expression will be rapidly escalated, until the point where dissent is cut off entirely.

On July 10, the government displayed its determination to crush anti-drones dissent by sentenching Mary Anne Grady Flores to one year in jail.

Please share this information and support these defendants and the right to dissent!

The Hancock Show Trials

Show Trial #1: Jack Gilroy

The trials taking place in July and August have been scheduled by the government one defendant at a time, presumably to maximize the cost to the defendants and to "make an example" of them. 

The trials listed below will take place at De Witt Town Court (5400 Butternut Dr., East Syracuse, New York).

Unless otherwise indicated, each is a Jury Trial for arrest during protest at Hancock Base, April 28, 2013, and charges include Obstructing Governmental Administration in the 2nd degree PL 195.05 sentence recommendation of 1 year in jail.

Trial dates and defendants are:

Show Trial #2: Russell Brown

July 14 and 15: Jack Gilroy (H31) Read about the show trial of Jack Gilroy.


July 29 and 30: Russell Brown (H31) Read about the show trial of Russell Brown.

 
August 11 and 12: Andrew Schoerke (H31)  Andrew Schoerke trial details.


September 8 and 9, 2014: Mark Colville

Charges stem from December 10, 2013 action when he joined with Creighton Chandler and Gregory Williams of Yale Divinity School to present an Order of Protection for the Children of Afghanistan at Hancock National Guard Base.  Colville is charged with Obstructing Governmental Administration, Disorderly Conduct and Contempt of Court in the 2nd Degree for ignoring his own Order of Protection which protects Col Earl A Evans, who is responsible for Material Support for the 174th Attack Wing at Hancock Air National Guard Base. The OOP specified that he 'stay away' from Col. Evans' place of work, Hancock Base. Mark Colville trial details.


September 14 and 15, 2014: Eve Tetaz   Eve Tetaz trial details. 


November 7 and 8, 2014: Mary Snyder

The defendant is 87 years old.  Mary Snyder trial details.

 
December 10 and 11, 2014: Julianne Oldfield Julianne Oldfield trial details.


January 25 and 26, 2015: Bonnie Mahoney

Mahoney is acting Pro Se, i.e. defending herself. Bonnie Mahoney trial details.


March 10 - 12, 2015: Bev Rice, Joan Pleune, Jules Orkin, and Ellen Barfield

Consolidated Jury Trial: the defendants reside in New York City and Baltimore. Bev Rice, Joan Pleune, Jules Orkin, and Ellen Barfield trial details.



April 28 and 29, 2015: Cynthia Banas Cynthia Banas trial details.


May 27 and 29, 2015: Mary Loehr  Mary Loehr trial details.


June 11 and 12, 2015: Harry Murray

Murray is acting Pro Se, i.e. defending himself.  Harry Murray trial details.


Background information

As indicated above, the majority of the trials (including the first) stem from protests that occurred at the end of April, 2013. See April Days of Action Against Drones Culminates with a conference in SYRACUSE and a massive demonstration at Hancock AFB- 31 arrested:

April Days of Action Against Drones in NEW YORK STATE

Upstate New York State has long been the center of resistance to drone militarism in the United States. The Upstate NY Coalition to Ground the Drones has led protests at Hancock Air Force Base and other locations for years.

Now, actions throughout New York State will be instrumental in a nationwide month of resistance to drone killing and drone surveillance - the April Days of Action Against Drones. In addition, events will be taking place in New York City, and elsewhere in the state. Find an event near you in the list below and GET INVOLVED!

UPDATE: Judy Bello of Upstate NY Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars appeared with Noor Mir of CODEPINK on Clearing the Fog Radio to discuss the impacts of drone warfare and promote the upcoming Convergence for Inspiration and Actions in Syracuse!

SYRACUSE - April 26, 2013 - Resisting Global Wars, Drones and Empire, A Convergence for Inspiration and Actions: April 26-28: Syracuse NY Friday evening we will come together Saturday we will have speakers and activities throughout the day Chris Hedges, Ann Wright, Kathy Kelly, David Swanson, Bruce Gagnon, Debra Sweet, Nick Mottern are among our speakers Sunday we will protest at Hancock National Guard Air Base Refer to http://upstatedroneaction.org for updated information

UPDATE: Hancock Air National Guard Base commander requests restraining order against peaceful anti-drone demonstrators.

GREENLAWN - April 30, 2013 - Not In My Neighborhood! Expose BAE's Drones! Street Theatre Actions: Looking for MORE participants! DATES/TIMES: whatever's good for all participants! (ACTUAL DATES/TIMES is NOT NECCESARILY APRIL 30). Across the street from BAE on the public grass buffer strip along the south side of Pulaski Rd in Greenlawn. We have done this before in this same location, with an installation of a mock graveyard of drone victims, complete with headstones and dark-clothed mourners and message signs, on the buffer strip facing commuter traffic. It was a really successful head-turner/car-stopper! Contact Occupy Huntington at 631-486-4818 or woodge1'at' hotmail.com

NEW PALTZ - April 13, 2013 - Drone Protest: Join our picket line with signs visible to busy traffic at 10:30 a.m. in front of the Elting Library (Main St. across from Starbucks). At 12 noon, march with signs and leaflets through the business district (about a half hour). Organized by the Hudson Valley Activist Newsletter. Info jacdon@earthlink.net, activistnewsletter.blogspot.com/. Two public parking lots on Plattekill Ave., including at Village Hall.

NEW YORK CITY - April 3, 2013 - Peace Grannies Anti-Drone protest: All New York City peace grandmothers and supporters and other interested parties will met April 3 from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Grandmothers Against the War vigil site at Rockefeller Center, the west side of 5th Ave. between 49th and 50th Sts. So far, Col. Ann Wright has agreed to speak. We will have drone models, banners and signs and, hopefully, some media. Participants will include the Granny Peace Brigade, Raging Grannies, Grandmothers Against the War, Grey Panthers, and many others.

April 9, 2013 - Protest Cornell-Technion Partnership in NYC: New Yorkers Against the Cornell-Technion Partnership will conduct their monthly protest, which will include a protest of Technion's development of drones. See: http://nyact.net/

April 25, 2013 - DRONE PROTEST L-3 COMMUNICATIONS: Join the protest at the headquarters L-3 Communications, of one of the 10 largest military contractors, 600 Third Avenue, calling out their work on attack drones and drone surveillance.

PORT JEFFERSON - March 30, 2013 - A March to End War and Violence: Join the North Country Peace Group as we march to end war and violence and to end the killing of innocent people using drone warfare.

ROCHESTER - April 10, 2013 - Ground the Drones: We will protest drone murders, around the world, at our bi monthly anti drone vigil. Our model Reaper will hover over us, as we hold signs with photos and names of some of the drone murdered. We will hand out informational flyers, and talk to people who are only now finding out about drone warfare. 12 Corners, at Monroe Avenue, Brighton

(Add additional New York State events to the master list of national April Days of Action actions.)

Read about ALL the ways YOU can be involved 

in the April Days of Action Against Drones!

April Days of Action Against Drones Culminates with a conference in SYRACUSE and a massive demonstration at Hancock AFB- 31 arrested

Following the Convergence to Action, a weekend of workshops, panels, and organizing meetings in Syracuse headed by the Upstate NY Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars, nearly 300 activists came out to Hancock AFB on Sunday (4/28) in a massive demonstration that helped to cap the nationwide April Days of Action Against Drones, which included events all throughout the state.

Over 275 people marched in a solemn funeral
 procession to demand that Hancock Air National Guard
 Base cease drone strikes. 

People carrying banners and coffins identified countries
 where U.S. drone attacks have killed over a thousand innocent civilians.

Vivid reminder that many of the civilians
 killed by drone strikes are children.

Demonstrators came from all over the country to raise an outcry against the proliferation of drone strikes abroad, including in countries with whom the US is not "officially" at war. Drone use violates article 6 of the US Constitution as well as International Law. Demonstrators also objected to the militarization of the police and the growing domestic use of drones. The protesters raised the issue that drone use globally actually perpetuates terrorism by stoking anti-American sentiment.

"STOP KILLER DRONES"

Veterans for Peace played a significant role in the demonstration,
as it has throughout the April Days of Action Against Drones.

The history of  demonstrations against the use of
 drones at Hancock apparently created the
 perceived need for a large police presence.

An account by Bruce K. Gagnon describes what happened next:

"After we had moved to the base in a slow funeral procession four of us from Veterans For Peace (VFP) stood next to the yellow crime scene tape the military and the local police used to mark the point we were not allowed to pass without risk of arrest. 

"A large number of activists crossed this line and
 performed a die-in blocking the entrance to the base.
  They covered themselves in white sheets smeared in red."

"While a policeman was issuing a warning with a bullhorn
 the four of us from VFP began reading the names of children
 killed by US drone strikes in Pakistan."

  "Once we finished reading the names we stepped over the line
 and were quickly grabbed by the cops, handcuffed, and
 escorted to the waiting big black police bus."  

Demonstrators delivered a war crimes indictment to the base. It reads:

"We, the people, charge the US President, Barack Obama, and the full military chain of command, to Commander Colonel Greg Semmel, every drone crew, and service members at Hancock Air Base, with crimes against humanity, with violations of part of the Supreme Law of the Land, extrajudicial killings, violation of due process, wars of aggression, violation national sovereignty, and killing of innocent civilians."

Even with 31 demonstrators arrested, hundreds remained to
 deliver the message that "We STILL Will not be Complicit"
 in war crimes committed in the name of U.S. imperialism.

The thirty one arrestees were arraigned in De Witt Town Court before Judges Benack, Gideon, and Jokl, who imposed bails ranging from $500 - $3500, totalling $34,000. As Bruce Gagnon notes, the bails were punitively high and were accompanied by abusive treatment of those in jail and waiting for arraignment. Some of the defendants were released with appearance tickets   Others are refusing to post bail and will be held in jail until the next court date of May 7th & 8th.

Those Arrested:

Beth Adams, Levertt, MA

John Amidon, Albany, NY

Cynthia Banas, Vernon, NY

Ellen Barfield, Baltimore, MD

Russell Brown, Buffalo, NY

Kate De Mott Grady, Ithaca, NY

Beatrice Dewing, New York City, NY

Max Farhi, Ithaca, NY

Sandra Fessler, Rochester, NY

Daniel Finley, Ithaca, NY

Bruce Gagnon, Brunswick, ME

Jack Gilroy, Binghamton, NY

Charlie Heyn, Damascus, PA

John Honeck, Hamlin, NY

Rae Kramer, Syracuse, NY

Joanne Lingle, Indianapolis, IN

Mary Loehr, Ithaca, NY

Bonnie Mahoney, Buffalo, NY

Harry Murray, Rochester, NY

Valerie Niederhoffer, Buffalo, NY

Julienne Oldfield, Syracuse, NY

Jules Orkin, Bergenfield, NJ

Elizabeth Pappalardo, Crystal Lake, DE

Joan Pleune, Brooklyn, NY

Beverly Rice

Grace Ritter, Ithaca, NY

Matthew Ryden

Andrew Schoerke, Shaftsbury, VT

Mary Snyder, Johnson City, NY

Eve Tetaz, Washington, DC

Patricia Wieland, Northampton, MA

Donations may be sent to the Syracuse Peace Council, with checks made out to Syracuse Peace Council, note: Upstate Drone Action Bail Fund.  2013 E. Genessee St., Syracuse, NY 13210.

For more information:

Carol Baum, Syracuse Peace Council, 315-472-5478, 315-383-5738

Ellen Grady, Ithaca Catholic Worker, 607-279-8303

To see the report in local news, click here.
For video of the demonstrations, click here.

April Days of Action Against Drones are only the beginning of the fight against U.S. imperialism and the illegal killing that perpetuates it.

To get involved, check out the No Drones Network or subscribe to get e-mails about impending anti-drone actions.

April Days of Action Against Drones in New York

Noor Mir

Judy Bello of Upstate Coalition to Ground the Drones joined Noor Mir of CODEPINK  April 15th on Clearing the Fog Radio with Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers, MD. Mir discussed at length the challenges of documenting civilian casualties of Drone Strikes in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA): 

"what people don’t often realize is that these tribal territories are already so excluded from the urban centers of Pakistan that when these drone strikes happen it’s really very difficult to have a record of them or to bring that kind of narrative out to larger news sources, so these stories get lost."

Mir continued by describing in detail the traumatic effects of living under drone warfare:

"It is a visceral hatred…if you kill civilians and ruin [a home] you’re bound to create enemies”

“On the ground I see anxiety about the violation of their sovereignity and just a general fear and terror…just the psychological effects on the families of the victims I’ve spoken to, they talk about how the buzzing just never goes away…the administration targets group of people that are moving, so that’s why children never go to school and why funerals just aren’t held anymore."  

Judy Bello

Bello applied her experience visiting the FATA to communicate a sense of the isolation of the region, even from the urban populations of Pakistan. 

The remainder of the show focused on how activists in the U.S. have been protesting the killing of civilians in violation of international law, through the April Days of Action Against Drones. Mir gave accounts of the recent protests in San Diego and Washington, D.C..

Bello described the ways in which the anti-drone movement, with the help of the Upstate Coalition to Ground the Drones, has been bringing the anti-drone message to upstate New York. She gave her account of a recent protest at Hancock AFB near Syracuse, a site of drone operation. Many of those demonstrating were arrested while blocking the gate to the base, and Bello described how they used their day in court as a platform to highlight the violations of international law entailed by U.S. drone warfare. 

Demonstrators arrested while blocking the gate to Hancock AFB

The momentum will continue with a Convergence to Action taking place at Syracuse's Southwest Community Center from April 26th-28th. The weekend will include panels on drone warfare, workshops on political organizing, and social events and will conclude on Sunday, 4/28 at 12:30 with a demonstration at Hancock AFB followed by a solemn procession around the base at 2.

To hear the full show, click here!

To learn more about the Convergence, visit the Upstate Coalition to Ground the Drones

(For rides to the Convergence, contact Ann Glick at aglick@hotmail.com)

April Days of Action Against Drones continues nationwide! How will YOU get involved?