Demonstrators hit Boeing/War Contractors Summit

Seattle

Demonstrators from 13 solidarity organizations chanted, “Hands Off Iran!” and “Boeing, Boeing, the Blood is Flowing,” as they struck back at Boeing and 700 other war contractors in Seattle on March 18. The main coordinator of the action was The International League of Peoples’ Struggle.

Under the coordination of Boeing, contractors from over 25 countries held the Defense Suppliers Summit in the Seattle Convention Center. This is the same place where the ill-famed World Trade Organization Meeting was held in 1999. At that time, tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Seattle to fight back against the imperialist world trading order that moved manufacturing to low-wage countries and depressed wages for all workers. 

As people chanted “No boots on the ground, no bombs in the air, U.S. out of everywhere,” speakers from many groups spoke out against the U.S. wars in Iran and Palestine. The protesters exposed U.S. occupation troops in the Philippines and the U.S.-dominated war games against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as well as the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) war on migrants.  

Using their loud sound system and many drummers, the rally certainly disturbed the peace of the war contractors inside. The protesters denounced Boeing aircraft manufacturer, saying it makes enough weapons to start a Nazi blitzkrieg. Boeing produces the F-15 bomber, the F-18 “Superfortress” and the Apache helicopter, and has 200 mid-air refueling tankers waging war against Iran.

Boeing has produced thousands of the GPS-guided bombs dropped on Gaza. Boeing also helped build many of the air force bases in Saudi Arabia and throughout the Gulf region to guard U.S. oil investments there.

Following the demonstration at the convention center, the crowd moved out to the Boeing Museum of Flight, next to Boeing Field, where a cocktail party was held for the war contractors. Demonstrators confronted the contractors as the warmongers drove toward museum parking, denouncing them and their war profits.