Protests Against Boeing War Machines Mount, As Seattle, Chicago Antiwar Movements Raise Company Role in Gaza Killing

In the last week, activists across the country have pointed to the role that the Boeing company is playing in the killing of Palestinians in Gaza.

In a suburb of Seattle, protesters blockaded a Boeing building in Tukwila on July 28. (See "Activists protest outside Tukwila Boeing offices")

Source: KiroTV

According to one of the protesters, "Boeing has been a major supplier of weapons to the Israeli Defense Force, including missile systems, F15 software, and Apache Helicopters. Our aim was to draw attention to how Boeing is profiting from these horrendous attacks on civilians in Gaza." (See "Bodies on the Line in Solidarity with Palestine" by Wendy Elisheva Somerson)

In Chicago, a city-wide coalition called for Boeing to be dropped as a sponsor of the city's massive summer spectacle -- the Air and Water Show -- and are now targeting Boeing's role in the Gaza killings in the huge marches being held in that city.

Protesters at Chicago City Hall press conference, July 30, 2014.

"Boeing weaponry are responsible for many of the over 1000 dead and over 6000 seriously wounded Palestinians in Gaza in the past three weeks. The dead are mostly civilians, including over 200 children. Israel’s fighter jets – the F15s and F16s – as well as Apache helicopters are all made by Boeing," said a statement by the Chicago coalition.  "Boeing has made billions from the sale of weapons for use in Israel's attacks, as part of its eight year old siege of Gaza. The City of Chicago should drop Boeing from the sponsors of the Air and Water Show. No company that makes profit from the slaughter of civilians should be included."

Meanwhile, the use of drones by Israel in the current Gaza crisis is bringing into full view the leading role of Israel in changing the way the U.S. and other countries assert state power against people everywhere.


People around the country are waking up to the atrocities being committed in Gaza, and they're realizing that we here in the U.S. have a responsibility to stand up to U.S. corporations like Boeing who supply the weapons used to do to the killing.


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Now that the Israeli government's killings in Gaza are front-page news -- particularly the way military aircraft is being used to mow down innocent men, women, and children -- Boeing's involvement is in everyone's face.

(See Boeing Has an Israel Problem . . . and Chicago Has a Boeing Problem)

July 2014 - Many organizations from across the city joined the call by Anti-War Committee – Chicago, Jews for Justice in Palestine, U.S. Palestinian Community Network and 8th Day Center for Justice: Protest Boeing Death Machines in Gaza: Demand Chicago Drop Boeing from Air and Water Show!

(See No Drones Illinois Endorses Call to Drop Boeing from Chicago Air and Water Show)









The #1 supporter of the terror that Israel is perpetrating in Gaza is the United States. Israel is doing the work set out for it by the U.S. government, against victims for which the U.S. government bears full responsibility, using weapons and money supplied by the U.S. government.

(See USA: Proud Sponsor of T E R R O R in Gaza!)









The use of drones by Israel in the current Gaza crisis is bringing into full view the leading role of Israel in changing the way the U.S. and other countries assert state power against people everywhere.

(See Gaza Crisis Brings Israel's "Dronification" of State Power into Full View)

McDermott in Washington State: Speaking Truth to Power on Drones

"The U.S. has used drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia to kill alleged affiliates of al-Qaida. Thousands of people have been killed, but fewer than 2 percent have been the key leaders the U.S. has said it is targeting."

So explaines Rep. Jim McDermott (WA-7) in a statement on "America's Creeping Militarization of Africa."  It's well worth reading, and it goes a long way toward explaining why McDermott was one of the first members of Congress to co-sponsor the bill demanding that the Obama administration come clean on its full record of drone killings.

People nationwide who have been 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 

[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)]


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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 )