Spanish Activists Call for Anti-NATO Public Assembly Before Massive Drills

The Anti-NATO Platform in the Spanish city of Zaragoza will launch a convention on Thursday for those against the alliance and the Trident Juncture exercises it is conducting in the city, a member of the group told Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Trident Juncture drills will take place from September 28 to November 6 in Spain, Italy, Portugal, as well as in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Approximately 36,000 personnel from over 30 NATO and partner nations will participate. The pronounced aim of the drills is to train and test the NATO Response Force, a technologically-advanced high-readiness unit comprising land, air, maritime forces.

"We have called an open assembly for this Thursday of all those people, groups, organizations, movements and associations ready to work together to show Zaragoza’s rejection of the Trident Juncture exercises, and of NATO itself," Hector Martinez told Sputnik.

With this assembly, the platform is aiming to inform residents of the situation and then organize subsequent protests.

"In mid-September, the deployment of 20,000 troops – of a total of 30,000 – will begin, which will participate in the Spanish stages of the Trident Juncture, the largest NATO military exercises since the Cold War," Martinez said.

Currently, Spain maintains two military bases with a permanent US presence – an air base in Seville and a combined air and naval base in Cadiz.