A local veteran activist group is protesting next month's Miramar Air Show over concerns about climate impact and glorification of war, the group said.
San Diego Veterans for Peace staged the protest Thursday on the Carroll Canyon Road overpass over Interstate 15. Organizer David Patterson, a San Diego Air Force veteran, said the group is trying to get people to think differently about the annual air show.
"I would like to say to the people that go there for a thrill (to) realize that this ... might be a thrill, but it's not good for us — it's not good for the future or our kids," Patterson said.
The air show draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar during air show weekend each fall. There are performances and demonstrations by a bevy of military aircraft from different branches of service and by civilian stunt flyers. There's a demonstration by a Marine Corps Air-Ground Task Force that simulates "taking" the air field.
The centerpiece of the show is a performance from the Navy's Blue Angels.
Throughout air show weekend, visitors can get an up-close look at Marine ground vehicles and aircraft.
The group hung banners Thursday that said "Air Show Fuels Climate Change" over the northbound lanes of the freeway. Patterson said the extra flights pump unnecessary greenhouse gasses into the air over San Diego. He said he doesn't think the military is serious about addressing the challenges of climate change.
"It's a challenge to the Marines," Patterson said. "Hey, help us do something about climate change."
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar didn't respond to a request for comment.
The air show isn't the only protest in which the veterans are involved. For months the group's held protests every Saturday in Ocean Beach calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Patterson said they'll also hold weekly demonstrations at various freeway overpasses until the air show begins.
The Miramar Air Show runs Sept. 27-29 at the base.
