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On Thursday night, Sept. 28, Medea Benjamin, the Founding Director of Global Exchange and Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate from California, as well as other local activists spoke out against military space programs and the upcoming October 7 day of direct action protest against them.

The event was hosted by the Santa Cruz Direct Action Network and Greenpeace USA to help raise awareness of the ongoing militarization of space with such programs such as the National Missile Defense program (aka "Star Wars") and to let people know about the protest and rally that will occur at Vandenberg Air Force Base near San Louis Obispo.

Vandenberg AFB is the largest U.S. Space Command Base in the world and is the main launching point for military surveillance satellites, ballistic missile testing, as well as the launch point for test missiles that are used for the proposed National Missile Defense system. On October 7 hundreds of activists will show up to protest these programs and demand that space is used only for peaceful purposes.

Anybody who wishes to know more about the upcoming event at Vandenberg AFB can call the Vandenberg Action Coalition in the SF Bay Area at 510-496-6012. Or, for anybody in the Santa Cruz - Monterey Bay Area call Peter Lumsdaine at 831-423-1626x104