March 2014
IN THIS E-BULLETIN
TWO ACTIVISTS BOARD NUCLEAR SUBMARINE AT FASLANE, SCOTLAND
SEVEN ARRESTED IN IOWA DRONE PROTEST
ARRESTS AT GREENPEACE NUCLEAR POWER PROTESTS IN EUROPE
34 ARRESTS AT NEVADA TEST SITE/NATIONAL SECURITY SITE
FOUR DUTCH ACTIVISTS ARRESTED AT VOLKEL AIR BASE
ASH WEDNESDAY ARRESTS
28 DAY PRISON SENTENCE FOR LONDON PRIEST
TEN WOMEN ARRESTED AT VERMONT YANKEE NUKE
SPRING STATEMENT FROM LEONARD PELTIER
PRISON LETTER FROM SR. MEGAN RICE
BUY A SUB! HELP SUPPORT PEACE PRISONERS
Two activists board nuclear submarine at Faslane, Scotland
Two campaigners from Faslane Peace Camp were arrested on Wednesday morning, March 19 aboard the Royal Navy submarine HMS Ambush at its berth in Faslane. Security at the site – home to Britain’s Trident nuclear weapons and headquarters of the Royal Navy – was again called into question by the protestors’ actions.
Seven arrested in Iowa drone protest
Seven people walked up to the gate of the 132nd Air National Guard Base in Des Moines, Iowa on Monday, March 17, carrying photos of some Afghan Peace Volunteers and victims of drone strikes. The group attempted to deliver a war crimes indictment. Julie Brown, Ruthie Cole, Chet Guinn, Elliot Adams, Michelle Naar-Obed, Steve Clemens and Eddie Bloomer were arrested and charged with criminal trespass.
Read more here.
Arrests at Greenpeace nuclear power protests in Europe
On March 5, in the run up to the 3rd anniversary of the Fukushima disaster (March 11, 2011), 240 Greenpeace activists took action across Europe to highlight the risk of aging nuclear reactors. Activists were arrested in Belgium, Sweden, Spain and France. A couple of weeks later, twenty activists from several countries were arrested during an occupation of the Fessenheim nuclear power plant, France’s oldest.
Read more here.
34 arrests at Nevada Test Site/National Security Site
Over the first weekend in March, about 60 people met in Nevada for the 8th annual gathering of the Pacific Life Community. On Monday, March 10, the group traveled to the Mercury gate of the nuclear weapons testing grounds northwest of Las Vegas, now known as the Nevada National Security Site. They proceeded to the cattle guard crossing on the entry road that marks the NNSS boundary, where Nye County sheriff’s deputies were waiting. Thirty-four people crossed the line and were arrested. They were issued citations and released a short time later without further consequence.
Read more here.
Four Dutch activists arrested at Volkel Air Base
In mid-March, four Dutch activists entered the secured zone of Volkel Air Base and were arrested after taking a picture of one of the SW3 bunkers in which American B61 nuclear bombs are kept. They felt that the Netherlands should return the U.S. nuclear weapons to President Obama when he visited their country the following week for the Nuclear Security Summit.
Read more here.
Ash Wednesday protest arrests
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, LONDON
For 32 years, Christians have gathered at the Ministry of Defence in London on Ash Wednesday to call on the government to repent and move away from nuclear war preparations. During this year’s March 5 procession, the MOD building was marked with crosses using charcoal and ash blessed at the beginning of the service. Those marking were Dr. Ray Towey, Fr. Martin Newell and Scott Albrecht. Scott was the only person to be detained by the police.
This year a key part of the day’s message called on the government to cancel Trident, the UK’s independent nuclear programme. The government is committed to the replacement of Trident at a cost of £100 billion.
Read more here.
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE
On Ash Wednesday, just a week after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that military commanders can decide who can be on their installations, Fr. Steve Kelly, SJ and Dennis Apel were arrested at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. They were charged with trespass and released. Both men had received ban and bar letters following previous arrests at the base, and the Supreme Court had considered Apel’s assertion that he and other banned protesters should be allowed to continue to vigil in the area alongside a public highway which is designated for legal protests.
“This ruling is dangerous, dangerous for our freedom of speech, it is dangerous for our obligation to hold our government accountable, and it is another step in the erosion of the constitutionally guaranteed rights which were put in place to secure our liberty,” Apel said of the Supreme Court decision.
Read more here.
Two more arrests at Vandenberg Air Force Base happened on March 14, when activists from around the world attended a peace vigil at Vandenberg Air Force Base at the beginning of the 22nd annual Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space conference. Two local activists who have been arrested at Vandenberg previously – Dennis Apel and MacGregor Eddy – were taken away by Air Force security in handcuffs. They were cited and released.
Read more here.
BEALE AIR FORCE BASE
Five people – including members of the clergy and veterans – were arrested during an Ash Wednesday service around 8 a.m. on March 5, at the gates of Beale Air Force Base in California, home of the Global Hawk surveillance drone program.
Participants, who were charged with trespassing, said they risked arrest to memorialize the children killed by the U.S. government’s fleet of killer drones. Beale’s drones perform reconnaissance work for U.S. Predator drones. The demonstrators spread ashes memorializing those of children killed by U.S. drones overseas.
Read more here.
28 day prison sentence for London priest
Fr. Martin Newell of the London Catholic Worker was arrested on March 14 after writing on the walls of the Ministry of Defence in London with charcoal. “Choose Life, No Trident, says God”, he wrote, and “ God is Peace”.
The next day, the Catholic priest appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court. He refused to pay fines of £565 he owes from various peace and anti-nuclear actions over the past few years, stating reasons of faith and conscience. The judge said he had no option but to sentence Newell to 28 days in prison. Newell was released on March 28.
Read more here.
Ten women arrested at Vermont Yankee nuke
Ten women with the Shut It Down affinity group were arrested for trespass after blocking the gate of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. The women – in their 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s – tied green balloons to the gate and held signs until removed by police. No court date has been set.
Read more here.
Spring statement from Leonard Peltier
Greetings my friends, relatives, supporters, and all those who support the cause of freedom, not only for Native Americans, but for all people.
I know it’s sometimes not easy being involved and staying involved, so for all of you that have done just that, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart to the top of my soul. We need more people all over the world who not only care about the freedom of others, but who care about our future generations and what kind of Earth we leave behind.
Read more here.
Prison letter from Sr. Megan Rice
[Sr. Megan Rice, Michael Walli and Greg Boertje-Obed – the Transform Now Plowshares – are now in MDC Brooklyn, FCI McKean and USP Leavenworth. Please write them a note of support – you can find their prison addresses here.]
Dear sisters and brothers, united as we are in efforts to transform weapons of war (alá Y-12, etc.) into projects fostering LIFE in all its fullness, restorative of justice, and healing for our planet and for the children…
Surely, our days since January 14, when we departed from Ocilla at 3:00 a.m. to arrive in the Knoxville office of the U.S. Marshall at 10:30 a.m., have been packed with learning experiences. These merit reflection. They even deserve to be communicated as events calling for our shared response.
Read more here.
Buy a sub! Support peace prisoners
No, not a submarine, but a subscription – to the Nuclear Resister newsletter, a chronicle of nonviolent resistance to war and the nuclear threat, and a “Chronicle of Hope” that has supported imprisoned activists since 1980. Nuclear Resister supporter MacGregor Eddy has set a goal to enroll 100 new subscribers by December 1, 2014 – International Prisoners for Peace Day. Please subscribe today!
Read more here.
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