There were excellent "no drones" events as part of local summer gatherings and festivals throughout June, July, August, and September, 2012. We expect outreach to the public to build the "no drones" movement all summer long in 2013. Exciting events like Covering Ground to Ground the Drones in Iowa with VCNV in Iowa are already in the works!
Below are a few examples of opportunities for events. (Events will continue to be posted on the national list here.)
AIR SHOWS
There are dozens of air shows across the country every year. People who come to these events tend to be curious and willing to engage in discussion. It's especially important to have a presence at these events because often they are uncritical displays of military air power and recruiting sites for the military.
Protests at the Chicago 2013 Air & Water Show are already being planned.
Here are several examples of past "no drones" events at air shows that were very successful:
Taking the NO DRONES! Message to the Masses at Chicago's Air & Water Show
Welcome to Oshkosh! (got drones?)
GREEN FAIRSThere are a growing number of environment- and green-oriented fairs and gatherings. Given the intimate relationship between drones, militarism, resource politics, and the environment, these events can be excellent opportunities to do outreach to concerned people.
State fairs are an excellent opportunity to reach people on this aspect of the drones problem.
See for instance: Energy Fair: Clean Energy & Sustainable Living, Custer, WI, June 21-23, 2013
PROGRESSIVE POLITICAL GATHERINGSThere are a growing number of environment- and green-oriented fairs and gatherings. Given the intimate relationship between drones, militarism, resource politics, and the environment, these events can be excellent opportunities to do outreach to concerned people.
See for instance: Raging Grannies Wow Fighting Bob Fest Crowd with Anti-Drones Song
Can you say "Woodstock"? :-)
Find a festival near you here: Music Festival Junkies - Festival Guide
DRONES CONFERENCES
The unmanned aerial systems (UAS or drones) industry holds numerous conferences, conventions, and trade shows throughout the year. These are important places to demonstrate and raise awareness of the problem of drone surveillance and drone warfare.
For instance, see:
ATLANTA - May 2013 - 2013 International conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems, ICUAS'13,
WASHINGTON, DC - August 2013 - AUVSI's Unmanned Systems 2013
OTHER EVENTS
See the state-by-state listing available here.
