photo by Marcia Gagliardi
from the Shut It Down Affinity Group
VERNON, Vermont—With signs encouraging green jobs and green energy, ten women from the Shut It Down Affinity Group held green balloons and waved as children and their parents exited Vernon Elementary School for the day on Wednesday, March 19.
“We wanted to do something fun and positive,” said Nancy First, 84, of Northampton, one of the Shut It Downers. Many parents and children waved enthusiastically. Shut It Downers also held a sign saying “Confronting the Nuclear Lies” with a finger pointing in the direction of the Vermont Yankee power plant less than a mile away.
After school was out, Shut It Downers moved their demonstration to the gates of the nuclear power plant where Vernon Police Officer Matthew Stains arrested them for trespass. The women refused to move from blocking the gate, where they tied green balloons and held signs until removed by police.
Booked by Vernon Police Chief Mary Beth Hebert and released were Ulrike von Moltke, 70, of Sharon and, all from Massachusetts, Hattie Nestel, 74, and Marcia Gagliardi, 66 of Athol; Anneke Corbett, 70 of Florence; Judy Wolter, 65, of Northfield; Frances Crowe, 95, Nancy First, 84, Connie Harvard, 65, and Susan Lantz, 72 of Northampton; and Ellen Graves, 72, of West Springfield.
No court date has been set.