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by Eleanor Levine and Toby Blomé
September 29 to October 5, 2019
- We successfully interrupted the U.S. war machine in a nonviolent, extended blockade of two entrance gates, using 4 “waves" of blockaders, over a period of over an hour.
- We held 8 two-hour vigils throughout the week during morning and afternoon shift changes at the entrance to Creech Air Force Base.
- We joined Veterans for Peace (VFP) for a protest against the expansion of Nellis Air Force Base onto the protected Desert National Wildlife Refuge near Nevada.
Our direct action on October 2, 2019 at Creech AFB interrupted the daily business of Drone Terror and Killing. By blocking entrances to the base for nearly an hour, we encouraged soul searching and discussion among base employees about the terrorizing killer drone program.
With only 10 activists able to risk arrest, we successfully and amazingly created four separate “waves" of Creechers, peacefully blocking traffic into the gates using our bodies and long banners in consecutive interruptions. Meanwhile, back at the first gate, once the lengthy “riot act” two minute warning was read by police in both English and also in Spanish for the first time, and arrests were made, that gate was re-opened. Soon after, a third wave of four more Creechers, with long banners, formed a new blockade at the first gate. Again, the “riot act” was read, this time without the Spanish translation and with only a one minute warning, and arrests were ultimately made. Concurrently, the blockaders at the second gate left their position, as the traffic was being detoured back to the first gate. These three Creechers, with supporters, then hustled to the first gate by, and intiated a “fourth wave” blockade, stretching across the entrance with a long banner, and slowly walking down the entrance road in nonviolent resistance, holding up traffic again. They ultimately were arrested as well. Those not risking arrest carried on vigiling until all arrestees were processed and transported to the Clark County Detention Center (CCDC) in Las Vegas.
In all, 10 Creechers were arrested and ultimately charged with “failure to disperse.” The arrestees were witness to the oppressive and frequently cruel environment that is the Las Vegas jail system, a reminder that the “injustice system" is one guided mostly by punishment and control, and not by rehabilitation and justice.
Did you know that the military wants to take over a million acres of protected land from the Desert National Wildlife Refuge (DNWR) north of Nellis? The military claims it needs the land to enhance bombing and combat training. Don’t they have enough land already? Haven’t they wrought enough destruction? On October 3, 2019, under the leadership of Garett Reppenhagan, Executive Director, Veterans For Peace, and VFP national staff person Samantha Ferguson, more than 30 VFPers and CodePinks, and other environmental activists gathered at the entrance to Nellis to stop the land grab that would imperil endangered wildlife, increase pollution, and further threaten our fragile climate.
Holding signs such as “Don't Bomb the Big Horn!” “Veterans Say …. Stop War Against Earth,” and “No Expansion of Nellis AFB onto the Desert National Wildlife Refuge,” we vigiled for about 90 minutes until the Las Vegas and Nellis AFB police arrived claiming we were trespassing on military property, though we were outside the controlled entrance gate. We were ordered to leave and, not surprisingly, the AFB boundaries mysteriously “moved” with each new position we occupied. For a first Nellis action, it was a success, with good coverage by the Las Vegas Sun.
Locally, expansion of Nellis is opposed by environmental groups, tribes, individuals and government entities that share access to the Wildlife Refuge. The Nevada State legislature has voted against base expansion. We thank Veterans For Peace for inviting us to join them in this important effort to stop further assault on our protected wilderness.
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