Knob Noster, MO, April 15, 2012: Riot police greeted peace activists with a traditional Air Force line dance during a drone protest at Whiteman Air Force Base.
Activists had gathered at Whiteman Air Force Base on April 15, 2012 to oppose the continued use of drones by the U.S. military. The protestors were expressing their concerns that drones, piloted from thousands of miles away, have been killing scores of innocent children, women and men in other countries.
The peaceful protestors were greeted by roughly 50 Air Force Military Police lined up across the base entrance in full riot gear. As the activists, led by Nobel Peace Prize nominee and megaphone toting diva Kathy Kelly, broke into a rousing chorus of Alleluia the entire troop of riot police responded by line dancing in rhythm to the music.
Beating their batons against their plastic shields and high stepping in perfect rhythm to the music, the riot police moved forward toward the protestors like a precision drill team. One protestor said she had never seen anything like it in her 30 years of peace protests. "They just seemed to be so moved by our singing," she remarked.
Tamara Severns of KC, a protest coordinator, took the megaphone, telling the young MPs, “As I look around, you’re the same age as all the kids out here. We want peace, and you guys want peace. You don’t want to go kill people.” Kathy Kelly called to them, “We assuredly mean you no harm.”
Referring to the shields covering their faces and bodies, she said, “I think of the Good Witch Glenda in The Wizard of Oz.” Kathy sang, “Come out, come out, wherever you are!” She added, “You’re very good–you don’t frighten us. But the U.S. owns half of the world’s weapons. We could change this … together. We look forward to being in the front line with you” to ban war’s weapons.
Following the action at Whiteman Kathy Kelly's agent contacted the base commander to ask if the MP precision drill team might be available to perform with her at her next gig. The base commander had not yet responded to his messages as of the following day.
See the line dance on video:
Editor's Postscript: Check out Kathy Kelly's post at Voices for Creative Nonviolence, For You, A Thousand Times Over
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