Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Inside the Grassroots Campaign That Pushed a Drone Company Out of Brooklyn
https://truthout.org/articles/inside-the-grassroots-campaign-that-pushed-a-drone-company-out-of-brooklyn/Inside the Grassroots Campaign That Pushed a Drone Company Out of Brooklyn
After 17 months of campaigning, Demilitarize Brooklyn Navy Yard won its first victory, setting its sights on the future.
By Joseph Mogul , TRUTHOUT
Published March 28, 2026
On the morning of February 11, the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC), a non-profit landlord responsible for developing the Brooklyn Navy Yard, convened a closed-doors meeting. One item of business concerned the lease of Easy Aerial, an AI drone manufacturer with material ties to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Israeli military, and one of 550 businesses housed inside of the city-owned industrial hub.
Meanwhile, 30 community members with the grassroots campaign Demilitarize Brooklyn Navy Yard (DBNY) occupied the lobby of Navy Yard Building 77, where Easy Aerial is headquartered. “We arrived with noisemakers and drums; we chanted and gave speeches,” said Leila Rafiq, a DBNY organizer using a pseudonym to protect her privacy. Outside, dozens of additional protesters picketed the building entrance.
… more …