FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 19, 2025
Media Contact: Melissa Garriga | [email protected]
CODEPINK and Veterans for Peace Announce Global Day of Action to #CloseBases
FAIRFIELD, CA - CODEPINK will hold a press conference and rally at Travis Air Force Base on Sunday, Feb. 23 as part of World Beyond World's Global Day of Action to close U.S. military bases domestically and abroad. Peace activists target Travis AFB because of its role in facilitating the genocide in Gaza through the transportation of U.S. weapons, as well as its complicity in the mass deportation of immigrants.
- WHAT: A non-violent demonstration and press conference to call for the closure of Travis Air Force Base, as part of the Global Day of Action to #CloseBases. The event will feature speakers and activists demanding an end to U.S. military involvement in actions contributing to global conflict and suffering.
- WHEN: February 23, 2025, at 2:00 PM
- WHERE: Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, CA
- WHY: CODEPINK and Veterans for Peace are mobilizing in response to the continued use of Travis Air Force Base in the transportation of U.S. weapons to Israel and its involvement in mass deportations of immigrants. The rally will focus on five key demands:
- Stop Arming Israel – End U.S. weapons transfers that fuel violence and genocide in Gaza, the West Bank, and beyond.
- Stop Mass Deportations – Halt the use of military logistics for deportation efforts targeting immigrant communities.
- Remember Aaron Bushnell – Honor the memory of Aaron Bushnell, a GI who refused to participate in the violent system.
- Fund Human Needs, Not War – Prioritize investments in human welfare, not in the machinery of war.
- Support GIs Who Refuse to Participate in the Machine of Death – Stand with military personnel who choose not to engage in violent and unjust actions.
Toby Blome of People’s Arms Embargo stated, “We have been going to Travis Air Force Base for over a year, and we will continue our actions as part of the Global Day of Action to #CloseBases on February 23. Travis transports U.S. weapons to Israel, contributing to the genocide in Gaza and the ongoing war crimes in the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran. Furthermore, this base plays a role in the mass deportations of immigrants. We cannot allow this to continue.”
Wynd Kaufmyn, organizer of the People’s Arms Embargo, emphasized,, “Ethnic cleansing is a crime, from California to Palestine! No mass deportations and no genocide! Our military should not be used for either!”
The rally will bring together activists, veterans, and allies to peacefully demonstrate and advocate for the closure of military bases contributing to global violence and injustice. The event serves as a call to the U.S. government to shift priorities away from militarism and toward meeting the basic needs of its people and the world.
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