Resist the glorification of war and militarism! McMinnville: No Oregon Air Show!

In step with the national call to action against air and water shows, Resist US-Led War Portland organized a week of action against the Oregon air show this year.

They held an information and open-planning session on August 28, where they were joined by local high school and college students, seasoned anti-war activists, environmental activists, and others to unite in opposing the air shows and solidify a plan of action against them.

On August 30, they gathered again to pass out flyers in downtown Portland and engage with people directly about their upcoming actions. They also reconnected with people who were at the Cancel RIMPAC actions earlier this summer.

They set up a protest outside of the McMinnville airport where the Oregon air show took place on August 31. Joined by the students, veterans, and activists who we built with at the planning session, they held a full program against militarism beneath a huge banner reading, “War machines kill kids and climate.”

They held signs up to cars passing by, chanting their demands for all to hear, and heard from anti-imperialist activists from various different organizations and perspectives. They carried the momentum from the highway to downtown McMinnville to flyer residents of the town and engage with people more directly on how the air show impacts their community.

Complete with their big fire truck and banner, they made their message clear. Though their engagement with McMinnville residents was limited, they plan to come back and build a relationship with the town and gain support for continued opposition to the air shows.

Who was at the show? Being shown off at the air show were a host of war machines that have enacted horrific violence to people around the world. Actual Nazi planes fully painted with swastikas were on display. Lockheed Martin flew its C-130J Super Hercules, used for transport in the plunder of Iraq and Afghanistan as well as in Libya and in use by the armed forces of the Philippines. Lockheed’s F-16 and Boeing’s EA-18G Growler were used by NATO to bomb the Balkans and by Israel to bomb Syria. None of these war machines should be made to look fun. They should be seen as they are: tools for war crimes.

Overall, the activities were a resounding success. They were able to build new, committed contacts with students in their area, they deepened our solidarity with the environmental activists they know, and strengthened their membership.

After this summer’s massive show out against Portland’s fleet week, it’s clear that a vibrant anti-war movement in Oregon is not only growing, it is needed. As a rising tech hub, Oregon is helping put computers into homing missiles. The Portland area is also home to war profiteering companies like Boeing, RTX, and failing nuclear energy company Nuscale. Military training is trying to make its way into all Portland public schools in the form of JROTC. Oregon contributes to militarization around the world, but our fight against it contributes to the struggle for a just peace worldwide.

Resist US-Led War is excited to continue building its presence against air and water shows in Oregon and participating in the strong united front of Resist US-Led War organizations that are showing up against the war industry.

Categories: Anti-War, U.S. Military, U.S. News

Tags: Imperialism