Global Outcry Against Military Bases
This coming weekend, protest actions and events against the adverse impacts of military bases will take place around the world.
Coordinated by World BEYOND War, the Global Days of Action Protesting Military Bases (#CloseBases) will see community protests call for an end to military installations.
Protest actions around Australia have been organised in support of this global initiative.
Reproduced below is a media release, dated 20 February 2026, by the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN) publicising these actions.
IPAN Press Release
Across the country Australia is set to witness several significant events and actions that underscore the nation’s commitment to peace and sovereignty, with actions taking place in Brisbane, Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Fremantle and Alice Springs.
The global days of action to close bases marks the day the USA took over Guantanamo Bay from Cuba in 1903, starting the modern era of overseas military bases as a key tool of expansionism and empire building. Actions are designed to draw local and global attention to the environmental and social harms of overseas military bases.
This year, there are new pressing reasons for action. The United States has used its bases in Latin America and the Caribbean to attack Venezuela, while threatening to take over Greenland to build more bases there. Iran is bordered by seven nations with U.S. bases. The nations to the south and east of China are packed with U.S. bases, as is Europe and Israel. Africa has foreign bases from several empires. Russia is making more use of its bases in Belarus and Australia is further entrenching itself in militarism with the AUKUS deal.
The continued operation of foreign military bases represents a profound threat to our nation’s future and global peace,” declared Ms. Shirley Winton, spokesperson for the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN) and a key organiser of the Melbourne event.
‘These bases are not just strategic outposts; they are epicentres of colonialism which erode the sovereignty of First Nations peoples, causing environmental destruction, community disruption and the relentless provocation of war’, Ms Winton said.
The stark realities demanding the immediate closure of these bases are undeniable, as Ms Winton highlights:
Colonialism and Land Rights: ‘Military bases are instruments of dispossession, routinely seizing Indigenous lands without consent or restitution. The tragic displacement of the Chagos Islands population for the Diego Garcia airbase stands as a chilling testament to this injustice.’
Exorbitant Costs: ‘The financial drain is astronomical. U.S. foreign military bases alone squander an estimated $80 billion annually—a staggering sum that could be transformative if redirected to critical public services like healthcare, education, and accelerating our transition to renewable energy.’
Environmental Catastrophe: ‘Far from being benign, military bases are environmental poisons. They are massive contributors to the climate crisis and relentlessly contaminate local water sources with toxic “forever chemicals” (PFAS/PFOS), leaving a legacy of illness and ecological ruin.’
Devastating Community Impact: ‘Beyond the environmental devastation, these bases wreak havoc on local communities. They artificially inflate property taxes, destabilise economies, and are tragically linked to a notorious pattern of sexual violence, with military personnel often shielded by Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs), undermining justice and accountability.’
Provoking Endless War: ‘The illusion of security they offer is a dangerous fallacy. The sheer presence of vast arsenals and troops at these bases actively fuels conflicts, ignites perilous arms races, and inevitably transforms host nations into prime targets for devastating attacks.’
‘The sheer scale of global participation this weekend will send an unmistakable message: the physically massive, yet remarkably hidden, problem of military bases can no longer be ignored,’ asserted David Swanson, Executive Director of World BEYOND War, a driving force behind this monumental day of action.
More information – Global Days of Action to #CloseBases
Reports from actions and events will be available at https://worldbeyondwar.org/