Bruce Gagnon on the Privatization and Militarization of Space

In celebration of Keep Space for Peace Week, the Santa Cruz branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom hosted a town meeting on the militarization and privatization of space. On September 16, 2004, Bruce Gagnon, founder and director of the Global Network Against Nuclear Power and Weapons in Space, spoke at the Louden Nelson Community Center in Santa Cruz about the privatization and militarization of space. The Santa Cruz Raging Grannies opened up the evening.

In addition to discussing how satellite technology and weapons in space affect current Earth-bound warfare, Bruce discusses the military and corporate motivations that lie behind some of NASA's recent projects such as the Mars landing and the Cassini probe of Saturn.

Raging Grannies (4:32 minutes)
Bruce Gagnon part 1 (29:42 minutes)
Bruce Gagnon part 2 (28:17 minutes)

Bruce Gagnon is the Coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space. He was the organizer of the Cancel Cassini Campaign (launched 72 pounds of plutonium into space in 1997) that drew enormous support and media coverage around the world and was featured on the TV program 60 Minutes.

Between 1983 – 1998 Bruce was the State Coordinator of the Florida Coalition for Peace & Justice and has worked on space issues for the past 20 years. In 1987 he organized the largest peace protest in Florida history when over 5,000 people marched on Cape Canaveral in opposition to the first flight test of the Trident II missile.

Project Censored (from Sonoma State University, CA) named a story on space weaponization by Bruce as the 8th Most Censored story in 1999.

Bruce has traveled to and spoken in England, Germany, Mexico, Canada, France, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Japan, Australia, Greece and throughout the U.S.

He has also spoken on many college campuses including: Loyola University, Drake University, Syracuse University, Cornell University, University of Michigan, Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, University of Pittsburgh, California Institute of Technology, University of Oregon, University of Alaska Anchorage, Marquette University, Brown University, Hunter College, University of Arkansas, and the University of Florida.

In 2003 Bruce was appointed by Dr. Helen Caldicott as a Senior Fellow at her Nuclear Policy Research Institute where he also serves on her Advisory Board.

His articles have appeared in publications like: Earth Island Journal, National Catholic Reporter, Fellowship, Toward Freedom, CounterPunch, Space News, Z Magazine, Gainesville Sun, and Red Pepper (UK).

In 1968 Bruce was Vice-chair of the Okaloosa County (Florida) Young Republican Club while working on the Nixon campaign for president.

Bruce is a Vietnam-era veteran and began his career by working for the United Farmworkers Union in Florida organizing fruit pickers.

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Crossposted at Santa Cruz Indymedia.