Protests crowd the Pennsylvania capitol lawn in protest of drone warfare
- Jan 20, 2015
- 2 min read
HARRISBURG, Pa. - Tuesday Jan. 20 was a day of celebration at the State Capitol for onlookers and democrats. For groups across the state it was an opportunity to be heard. Protesters crowded the Capitol lawn on Gov. Tom Wolf’s inauguration day to raise awareness for issues dividing the state. Among the protesters were large statewide groups, including the coalition of Pennsylvanians Against Fracking and smaller groups such as the Pennsylvania Interfaith Network Against Drone Warfare.
The Pennsylvania Interfaith Network Against Drone Warfare opposes the establishment of a drone war command center in Horsham, Pa. The PA Air National Guard Station will operate the drone warfare command center and it is set to be fully operational sometime this year. No official opening date has been announced yet.
The group’s concern over the command center started when an RQ-7 Shadow drone crashed close to an elementary school in Lebanon County last April. No citizens were hurt in the crash, but the close to home occurrence had many residents and members of the group worried about the drone’s intensions.
The drones piloted from the Horsham Center would be used in operations overseas in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia and Syria.
The group is advocating for a public hearing to be conducted by state authorities on the establishment of the command center. Not a single public hearing has taken place to discuss the issue since the announcement that the command center was going to open.
On inauguration day, the group presented Gov. Tom Wolf with a letter asking for a public hearing and open discussion of the creation of the command center in Horsham. No response has come from the governor’s office yet.
To find out more about the Pennsylvania Interfaith Network Against Drone Warfare, the command center in Horsham or more about drones, visit www.brandywinepeace.com and www.knowdrones.com. Representatives for the group can be reached at 717-859-3529.
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