FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Carol Baum, 315-472-5478 (Syracuse Peace Council),
315-383-5738 (cell)
Judy Bello 585-733-4058
Verdict for Hancock 38 Drone Resisters Thursday, December 1 at 5 pm
( Preceded by Vigil at Hancock Front Gate, 3-4 pm )
The verdict in the case of the Hancock 38 Drone Resisters will be given by Judge David Gideon on Thursday, December 1 at 5 pm at the Town of DeWitt Court House (5400 Butternut, East Syracuse, NY). There will be a vigil at Hancock Air National Guard Base preceding it from 3-4 pm.
Thirty people were on trial in November for their die-in at the main entrance of Hancock Air National Guard Base in April, protesting the piloting and maintenance of the hunter/killer Reaper drones at the Base. The defendants argued that they were innocent based on the Nuremberg Principles, which forbid wars of aggression, attacks on civilians and extrajudicial assassinations - all actions associated with drone warfare. The Principles assert a citizen’s duty to act where they can to prevent violations, even if the violations are committed by their government.
A highlight of the 5-day trial was the testimony from former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, who testified that in his expert opinion, the defendants’ actions were justified under international law as embodied in the Nuremberg Principles.
Defendants also asserted their first amendment rights to freedom of speech, to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for redress of grievances. These rights formed the boundaries of their 'orderly' presence at the front gate of Hancock Base on April 22.
Several Veterans For Peace members are among the defendants, including Veterans For Peace President Elliott Adams.
The action was sponsored by the Upstate NY Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars. The Coalition consists of activists from Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Ithaca, Rochester, Syracuse and Utica. Resources, including video of closing arguments, at www.upstatedroneaction.org .