Walk and Demo on 13th Oct to oppose Drones base near Lincoln

Drones are planes without pilots which are increasingly seen as the preferred weapon of war. They are also being used in targetted killings in countries which are not at war particularly Pakistan but also in the Yemen and Somalia. Targetted killing has become an accepted form of military behaviour. We do not accept it.

Britain uses drones extensively in Afghanistan. The armed Reaper drone has fired 281 weapons in Afghanistan up to the end of May 2012 but it is very difficult to get information about the number of civilians killed in those attacks. Drones are surrounded by secrecy. Currently controlled remotely from the Nevada Desert, the control base is soon moving to RAF Waddington in Linclonshire. Britain has been renting a surveillance drone from Israel, the Hermes 450, but will soon have its updated equivalent, the Watchkeeper drone, in service. This is a  surveillance and targetting drone and is being made in Leicester with the engine made in Shenstone near Lichfield at the Israeli owned Elbit factory.

BAE Systems is also developing the Mantis drone which is not remotely controlled but runs on a preprogrammed plan. 31 countries now have large drones in military use. They fly for longer periods than piloted aircraft and present less danger to the attackers.  They make war more likely. They are terrifying to those on the ground.

During Drones Week of Action from 6 - 13 October a group of people will be walking from a drones factory near Lichfield to the drones factory in Leicester, and finishing at a drones control base near Lincoln. They will pass through five counties to raise awareness of the drones issue as we walk through towns and villages and visit drones sites to protest at what they are doing in solidarity with all those killed, injured or harmed by drones. The Walk:

• Saturday 6th October Shenstone - meet at the train station at 10.30am then demonstration at the nearby Elbit factory - 11.30  walk 8 miles to Tamworth, evening meeting, venue to be confirmed
• Sunday 7th leave Tamworth 9am for long walk (approx 17 miles)  to Hinckley
• Monday 8th - leave Hinckley 10am for 12 mile walk to Leicester  and demonstration at the Thales Watchkeeper factory, Scudamore Road at 3.30, hosted in houses
• Tuesday 9th - gather at Gandhi's statue, Belgrave Road 9.30 for readings, 10am leave for  Loughborough 12 miles, evening meeting in Loughborough, venue tbc
• Wednesday 10th - leave Loughborough 9am, walk to Nottingham, 15 miles, staying in Friends Meeting House, peace supper.
• Thursday 11th - leave FMH 9am, walk to Southwell,  13 miles
• Friday 12th - leave Southwell on bus 28 to Newark at 9.38, then bus 47 from Newark at 10.40 to outskirts of Lincoln then walking 5 miles to Friends Meeting House.  Hosted in houses. Possible evening meeting.
• Saturday 13th - leave Lincoln 9am, walk 6 miles to RAF Waddington and demonstration from 12 noon til 2pm.

There are regular buses along most of the route. Lunch and tea stops are being arranged giving us an opportunity to speak with people along the way. Some venues are yet to be confirmed and times may vary so please contact Penny at Leicester CNDif you are planning to take part - we also need numbers for hosts.  01163 199487 or 07414 465695 or pennywalker@riseup.net