McMINNVILLE, Ore.—Predatory recruiting practices, the normalization and glorification of war, the climate impact of the U.S. military machine, and ongoing lethal U.S. aid to Israel were all targeted by peace activists who gathered in McMinnville, Oregon, on Sept. 27 to protest the Oregon Air Show.
There were plenty of local complaints that made the agenda as well. One McMinnville resident who spoke with People’s World described the leadup to and weekend of the Oregon Air Show as a “week of hell” due to the loud noise from the flyovers impacting people with PTSD, veterans, pets, and others, the closure of a local park, and traffic issues.
Many residents also complained about the price, $50 per ticket for Saturday and an additional $45 for parking. Hundreds of people sat outside the actual venue to watch the planes fly above for free.
Protesters sought to highlight the glorification of military violence that the air show perpetuates; it’s not all fun and games, they say. Numerous planes used in wars and imperialist conquests were displayed at the air show as if they were toys.
Recruiters set up tents to show off these war machines, demonstrating what public dollars go toward instead of healthcare, housing, and good wages. Families bring their young children to the air show, where they are unknowingly inoculated into U.S. war culture.
Some teenagers or young adults are recruited into the military right there on the spot, fed stories about traveling the world, defending democracy, and working for their country.
The list of sponsors of the Oregon Air Show include a range of military outfits, weapons makers, other companies linked to the war industry, and a collection of other corporations.
The U.S. Armed Forces is key, of course. It has an active interest in supporting air shows as they promote the glorification of war and serve as indoctrination grounds for young people. Air shows double as recruitment events.
ADC group, a private company specifically designed to fund, promote, and manage the logistics of over 70 air shows across the U.S., works the organization side of things.
Genentech, a U.S.-based biotech company that is instrumental in producing pharmaceuticals. They lobby to keep patent rights in place and drug prices high. Genentech also received a $28 million dollar contract with the Department of Defense in 2021.
Then there are various other companies, ranging from large monopolies like xFinity to a local brewery and restaurant.
There were a few specific aircraft which demonstrators particularly tried to draw public attention to.
Two of the fighter jets present at the Oregon Air Show were the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon and the Boeing F-15 Eagle. These planes were used by the Israeli military in attacks on Syria and have also been deployed in the Balkans as well as in Iraq and Afghanistan by NATO, by Turkey in Kurdistan, and elsewhere. In 2000, a deal to sell 102 F-16s to Israel totaled $4.5 billion.
The Boeing EA-18G Growler was used in the bombing of Libya in 2011. The Growler also bombed Yemen in 2023 and is currently used by the Australian Air Force.
In previous years, two Nazi planes were present at the show—a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 and a Messerschmitt Bf 109—as well as the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules.
None of these are simple stunt planes; they are weapons of war costing millions of dollars each. They are paraded as a fun family experience and tourist attraction while the bloodshed they cause and the profits they generate for their corporate creators are ignored.
The rally against the air show was organized by Resist U.S.-Led War Portland, a network made up of several organizations: Gabriela, Mosquito Fleet, the Communist Party USA, Clown Bloc PDX, Veterans For Peace, War Resisters League, Prison Abolition Club – Lewis & Clark, and many more community volunteers. CODEPINK, Extinction Rebellion, and the Kalikasan Solidarity Organization also attended this rally.
Speakers at the rally turned a spotlight on the brutal realities of war. Mike, a member of Veterans for Peace, discussed what he saw as an army medic in Vietnam. Another speaker detailed the violence that women experience from the military—both inside its ranks and around the world. The speaker specifically mentioned the murder of Jennifer Laude, a Filipina trans woman killed by a U.S. Marine.
The Portland Club of the Communist Party USA connected the air show to militarism and the harm it causes to the working class.
“How many times have we heard ‘How are we going to pay for that?’ when someone brings up Medicare for All, ending student loan debt, expanding public transit, improving infrastructure, ending homelessness, raising wages, fighting the climate crisis, and so many other issues that working people face every single day?” a CPUSA member asked.
“Yet we never hear any concern about funding sources when money is needed for Israel’s genocide, for ICE’s terrorism campaign, or for ambiguous national security and self defense expansion.”
Resist U.S.-Led War Portland launched a campaign to “End the Glorification of War” across Oregon after protesting the Navy’s involvement in Fleet Week in 2024 and again in 2025. Resist also protested the Oregon Air Show in McMinnville in 2024.
The Oregon Air Show is just one small piece of the U.S. military’s massive propaganda wing, which is proven by it’s discussed in event’s 2023 Annual Report. It noted:
- Paid and trade advertising programs, social media, email marketing and a robust public relations effort put the show in front of many consumers.
- Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are a critical part of the Air Show’s marketing mix. These powerful outlets are used to engage with Air Show fans before, during, and after the show and to support relationships with our sponsors
- The report also calculates the amount of impressions and possible publicity value based on those impressions.
The organizers do not openly state that their purpose is to recruit people into the military and glorify war, but local activists say they will continue to expose the reality of the situation until the Air Show either ends or cuts ties with the military. As one attendee said, “A culture obsessed with violence can only perpetuate more violence; it needs to be stopped.”
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