Members of an upstate New York anti-drone organization protested against drone operations at the Hancock Field Air National Guard Base on Tuesday evening.

Upstate Drone Action protests in front of the base, located at Syracuse’s Hancock International Airport, every first and third Tuesday of the month during warmer months, said protestor Ed Kinane. The group holds signs during shift changes to catch the attention of base workers as they leave the main entrance between 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., he said.

“If some of us aren’t out here, who’s going to do it?” Kinane said. He said he has been with Drone Action Group since its creation in November 2009.

The group was formed shortly after the 174 Attack Wing, which operates the base’s drone program, opened its MQ-9 Reaper training program, Kinane said.

The MQ-9 Reaper is a remote operated aircraft used primarily in target execution. The use of drone strikes increased substantially under President Barack Obama, according to The Bureau of Investigative Journalists. He used them 10 times more than his predecessor, George W. Bush, according to the Bureau.

The year it was created, Upstate Drone Actionfasted during Thanksgiving in protest of the training program, Kinane said. The grouphas between 30 and 40 members from around upstate New York, he said.

In the past, Upstate Drone Action experienced run-ins with law enforcement while protesting, Kinane said. Both Kinane and his partner, Ann Tiffany, have been arrested for protesting at the base before, he said.

“It is definitely worth getting arrested” Tiffany said. “It is saying, ‘This is so important I’m putting my body here.’”

On Tuesday, the protesters made sure to get a permit and stay on the side of the street opposite of the base, Kinane said. The protestors did not experience confrontations with law enforcement. Passersby honked on occasion in support, though one car passenger driving by yelled at the group to leave the base.

Tiffany said she was sad that more people didn’t attend Tuesday’s protest. But protester Dick Keough said that even a small amount of people can have an impact.

“It only takes one person to do something,” Keough said.

Published on February 5, 2019 at 11:22 pm

Contact Patrick: pjlineha@syr.edu