Las Vegas Sun

May 21, 2024

6 protesters detained at US Air Force drone base in Nevada

Creech

John Locher / AP

People wear masks and hold signs in the shape of coffins during a protest against drone warfare held at the entrance of Creech Air Force Base, Tuesday, April 2, 2019, in Indian Springs. Members of CodePink and other groups have been protesting at the base since Monday, where drone pilots operate.

Authorities say six protesters were detained and given misdemeanor tickets after they refused to leave the entrance of a U.S. Air Force Base northwest of Las Vegas.

Creech Air Force Base, Las Vegas police and an organizer who was detained said no one was injured during the early Wednesday act of civil disobedience at the air base in Indian Springs.

Toby Blome (bloh-MAE') of San Francisco says demonstrators are spending the week protesting the use of U.S. drone aircraft in warfare and counterterrorism in other countries.

Blome says she and five others were taken to the county jail in Las Vegas, given unlawful assembly summonses and ordered to appear in court May 6.

A base spokeswoman didn't immediately comment. The Air Force has said following previous twice-a-year protests that it respects assembly and free speech rights but is committed to national security missions.