ACTION: For a Worldwide Ban on Military Air Shows
World BEYOND War
(May 25, 2026) — Military planes are weapons of mass murder and destruction. Air shows are used to advertise them for purchase by governments.
Air shows burn huge quantities of jet fuel, damaging both local air quality and the Earth’s climate, sometimes contributing to pollution that makes it difficult to see the air show. Crashes cause more damage, and fire-fighting foam poisons ground water.
Disasters are not uncommon, resulting in major destruction and often deaths.
The noise of war planes retraumatizes war survivors, disturbs local residents, and harms children, pets, and wildlife. Dogs bark endlessly, while cats disappear into hiding, and other animals and wildlife show clear signs of fear, agitation, and distress.
Turning instruments of indiscriminate slaughter into entertainment promoted to children amounts to glorifying and normalizing killing.
Militaries know that, which is why they waste major public resources on air shows, but we need those funds for useful things.
We have successfully demilitarized air shows in some places, while still working on others, and just need to do so everywhere.
Protests are widespread and could be strengthened by a movement for a global ban.
ACTION: Protest a Military Air Show Near You
World BEYOND War is working in the United States with groups including Veterans For Peace and 350.org to organize protests of military air shows, which of course glorify militarism, waste huge amounts of money, do serious damage to the natural environment, and produce horrific noise pollution that can re-traumatize victims of actual wars.
You can find upcoming protests that have been planned and add your own on this event page.
Veterans For Peace (VFP) has been running the No Military Airshows (No MAS!) campaign for years to protest military air shows by the Navy (Blue Angels) and Air Force (Thunderbirds) for glorifying militarism and spewing pollution. 350.org’s U.S. team joined the campaign and is encouraging 350.org supporters to work with local VFP chapters, WBW chapters, and anyone else to protest military air shows across the United States.
Here are reports on U.S. air show protests in 2024.
World BEYOND War has been organizing protests of the Toronto Air Show together with allies in Canada for years.
This can be done anywhere in the world that has disgusting displays of deadly weapons in the air — or on the ground.
Here’s a video from January discussing U.S. air show protest plans with Taylor Smith-Hams, U.S. Senior Organizer with 350.org; and Gary Butterfield, Treasurer with San Diego Veterans For Peace:
