January 2017
IN THIS E-BULLETIN
TWO PEACE ACTIVISTS ARRESTED AFTER ENTERING BAE WARPLANE SITE IN ENGLAND
SIXTEEN ARRESTED IN ACTIONS AGAINST TORTURE
PAIR ARRESTED AFTER LABELING CALIFORNIA DRONE BASE A “CRIME SCENE”
CHELSEA MANNING’S SENTENCE COMMUTED
OBAMA DENIED CLEMENCY FOR LEONARD PELTIER
PLEASE SUPPORT IMPRISONED ANTI-NUCLEAR AND ANTI-WAR ACTIVISTS – THE NUCLEAR RESISTER NEEDS YOU!
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Two peace activists arrested after entering BAE warplane site in England
Early on the morning of January 29, Reverend Dan Woodhouse, a Methodist minister in Leeds, and Quaker activist Sam Walton entered BAE Systems in Warton, England in order to disarm warplanes bound for Saudi Arabia. The planes are due to be shipped from the factory in the next few weeks. The men, arrested and held on “suspicion of criminal damage”, were later released on bail. They said, “The UK government has blood on its hands and we need to do everything we can to stop the transfer of weapons and show these sales are illegitimate. By providing weapons and support Britain is deeply complicit in Saudi war-crimes, and it’s vital that we bring an end to this immoral, abhorrent trade.”
Read more here.
Sixteen arrested in actions against torture
Clad in orange jumpsuits and Shut Down Guantanamo t-shirts, activists with Witness Against Torture (WAT) took over the Hart Senate Building on January 11 with a message for Senators, staffers and the general public. They marked the 15th anniversary of the opening of the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba with signs and banners that read “Shut Down Guantanamo,” “No Torture Cabinet” and “Hate Doesn’t Make U.S. Great.” After a die-in and banner drop, 13 of the activists were arrested. Three others were arrested that day for interrupting testimony during hearings for Trump’s picks for Attorney General and Secretary of State.
Read more here.
Pair arrested after labeling California drone base a “crime scene”
Occupy Beale started off a new presidential administration with a protest on Tuesday morning, January 25 at the Main Gate of California’s Beale Air Force Base, home of the Global Hawk drones. Before dawn, yellow “Crime Scene – Do Not Cross” tape marked the Beale Air Force Base sign, which was also labeled with a poster stating that “Drone Warfare is a Crime.” Flora Rogers and Brian Terrell were arrested and taken into custody. They were soon released with federal trespass citations.
Read more here.
Chelsea Manning’s sentence commuted
On January 17, President Obama commuted all but four months of the remaining 35-year prison sentence of Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning. She is scheduled to be released from the military prison in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas on May 17. Manning has spent almost seven years behind bars, some of it in isolation. Two of her attorneys praised the decision, saying “Ms. Manning is the longest-serving whistleblower in the history of the United States. Her 35-year sentence for disclosing information that served the public interest and never caused harm to the United States was always excessive, and we’re delighted that justice is being served in the form of this commutation.”
Read more here.
Obama denied clemency for Leonard Peltier
On January 18, in a letter addressed to Leonard Peltier’s lawyer, the Obama administration formally denied the request to grant clemency to Peltier. Leonard Peltier, a Native rights activist and member of the American Indian Movement, has been incarcerated since 1976. He was convicted of a crime he did not commit – the murder of two FBI agents. Peltier’s struggle to gain freedom has crossed the globe over the years, and supporters – including Mother Theresa, Desmond Tutu and many others – have all called for his clemency. The lead prosecutor in the Peltier case, former United States Attorney James H. Reynolds, recently called on Obama to grant Peltier clemency, stating that Peltier’s release would be “in the best interest of justice in considering the totality of all matters involved.”
Read more here.
Please support imprisoned anti-nuclear and anti-war activists – The Nuclear Resister needs YOU!
The Nuclear Resister is a bare bones operation that depends on grassroots support to chronicle anti-war and anti-war resistance, and support the women and men in prison for their acts of conscience. We need your help to continue this work – please read more here!! Or go directly here to make a secure online donation and find information about how to send a check. Each and every donation, large or small, will be gratefully received – thank you!