ACTION ALERT:
February 23 — Global Day to Close Military Bases
February 23, 2025 — at a Military Base Near You!
World BEYOND War / Global Day of Action to Close Military Bases
(February 5, 2025) — The thousands of military bases, both foreign and domestic, around the world are a critical piece of the war machine that must be dismantled. Closing bases is a necessary step to shift the global security paradigm towards a demilitarized approach that centers common security — no one is safe until all are safe.
We call on individuals and organizations around the world to join the Global Day of Action to #CloseBases on February 23 by organizing protests at military base sites near you.
Top Five Reasons to Close Bases
- Bases often perpetuate colonialism, removing Indigenous people from their lands. From Panama to Guam to Puerto Rico to Okinawa to dozens of other locations across the world, militaries have taken valuable land from local populations, often pushing out Indigenous people in the process, without their consent and without reparations. For example, the entire population of the Chagos Islands was forcibly removed from the island of Diego Garcia by the UK so that it could be leased to the US for an airbase.
- Bases cost an exorbitant amount of $$. The cost of US foreign military bases alone is estimated at $80 billion a year, money that could be better spent on healthcare, education, renewable energy, and so much more.
- Bases exacerbate environmental damage and the climate crisis. Military emissions are exempted from climate agreements, like the Kyoto Protocol. The construction of bases has caused irreparable ecological damage, such as the destruction of coral reefs and the environment for endangered species in Henoko, Okinawa. Furthermore, it is well documented at hundreds of sites around the world that military bases leach toxic so-called “forever chemicals” (PFAS/PFOS) into local water supplies, which has had devastating health consequences for nearby communities.
- Bases can have violent and harmful impacts on local communities.
Militaries have a notorious legacy of sexual violence, including kidnapping, rape, and murders of women and girls in nearby communities. Yet troops stationed at foreign bases are often afforded impunity for their crimes due to Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs) with the so-called “host” country. Bases can also bring a rise in property taxes and inflation in areas surrounding them which has been known to push locals out. - Bases heighten tensions and provoke war-making. The presence of hundreds of thousands of troops, massive arsenals, and thousands of aircraft, tanks, and ships in every corner of the globe facilitates war-making and promotes an arms race. Additionally, bases make locations into targets for attack. And foreign bases implicate countries in the crimes of foreign militaries.
Actions Around the World on February 23
Organize a Local Action!
Fill Out the Event Submission Form to Add Your Action to the Map
Click on this map to access details on the planned actions. Be sure to check the event details listed, since not all actions are taking place on February 23. To access details on the planned actions, be sure to check the event details listed, since not all actions are taking place on February 23.
Global Day of Action to Close Bases
Sunday, February 23
Veterans For Peace
Veterans For Peace is part of the international coalition that is coordinating the February 23 Global Days of Action to Close Bases.
VFP chapters, members, friends and allies are encouraged to participate, especially those near US military installations.
It doesn’t have to be huge — and there is little time for organizing. You can show up even with a modest number of people, a VFP flag, a sign, and share photos/videos on social media.
Large or small, you will be part of a worldwide day of action to point the finger at the bases and how they harm our communities as well as world peace.
Veterans For Peace will bring special attention to our opposition to the ongoing genocide in Gaza and to the mass deportations on the US
We will offer our support to GI’s who choose not to participate in war crimes or follow orders that are illegal and immoral.
More information and resources will follow in the coming days. Check World BEYOND War for updates.
CLOSE DOWN THE BASES
NO to Militarism and Genocide!
NO to Environmental Destruction
Money for Human Needs, Not for War
NO to Mass Deportations!
We Support GI’s Who Say NO!
