I spent the weekend in Killeen, Texas to participate in protests being held against the deployment of 3,000 troops to Iraq called by The Disobedient. These protests are happening in the context of the wikileaks revelations that show U.S. soldiers killing civilians in Afghanistan, shooting reporters and bombing wedding parties. U.S. military war veterans like Ethan McChord and  Matthis Chiroux have testified that these crimes are daily occurences in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Killeen is home to the Fort Hood military base which has approximately 35,000 active duty soldier members. The base itself is headed for a new highway contruction that will be used for the sole purpose of transporting troops directly to Hood Airfield. Some reasons for this highway is they want to be able to deploy troops quickly and the base itself was not designed to withstand permanent occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Fort Hood has risen in violence as a direct result of the invasions of Iraq. Reports of domestic abuse have grown by 75 percent since 2001. Violent crime in Killeen has risen 22 percent. One wife of a war resister told me about how she often receives calls from other wives who are in fear of the lives of their children because their husbands are still in “kill mode” from deploying to Iraq. The military grinds people up, controls their right to live or die and destroys their humanity as they mold people to be foot soldiers for empire. Another army wife said, “ If these wars are destroying our families with 12 to 15-month, often repeat deployments, how do you think the Iraqi and Afghan people doing? They have been living these wars 24/7, 365 days a year for nearly a decade!” Bobby Whittenberg, a fomer Iraq mairne,”We must face the truth, even if it makes us uncomfortable or shows us something about ourselves that we don't want to see. When we find the truth, we must respond accordingly. I will not be complicit in the killing of people.”

On Sunday August 23, the day scheduled for the troop deployment out of Killeen, the Disobedient held a live u-stream talking about why they were doing these protests. People from all over the country and other parts of the world tuned in and sent messages of support and asked questions about what they could do stop these wars. Veterans talked about the reasons why they resisted, the kinds of things they witnessed in Iraq and why people must oppose these wars that are being expanded by Obama. People followed this webcast into the earlier hours of Monday morning. In the midst of this live webstream, reactionary military supporters who call Bradley Manning a terrorist   called on people to inform the military about these protests. One of them advocated a blanket party against one of the female activists. (  A blanket party is a violent group attack on an unpopular GI. Usually done in the middle of the night, in a barracks situation, the victim’s head and body is covered with a blanket,they  are wrestled to the ground, then beaten with blunt objects by other members of the group. Hundreds of attacks per year are aimed at suspected gays.)

 The scheduled deployment was moved repeatedly but activists stayed determined in their conviction to not back down on protests.

In Killeen TX at around 4:30 am, the deployment began. Activists did a legal banner drop from an overpass but were soon bombarded by police who had m-16's. They told protesters to put their hands up and told reporters who were there to not point their cameras at them. Other activist ran down to the street and attempted to blockade the buses filled with soldiers from Iraq. They carried banners that read, “Occupation Is A Crime” And “Don't Make The Same Mistake We Did, Resist Now.” These activists slowed some of the buses, police made no arrests but instead beat activists out of the streets using automatic weapons and police dogs. This large police presence is very untypical for a troop deployment.

It seemed as if the powers that be were very concerned about this message reaching the troops and even further more the public. In a time, when the U.S is attempting to rebrand the war in Iraq and criminalizing people who stand up against these crimes, people must be visible in resisting these wars. At the recruting stations, near military bases, and in the streets; Stop Crimes of Your Government Now!