Mothers' Day at ELF

Eight people were cited for trespassing on May 14, in an attempt to deliver a petition to the U.S. Navy during a Mothers' Day protest against the submarine transmitter Project ELF. While the eight were cited and released, Kurt Greenhalgh of Loaves & Fishes Catholic Worker in Duluth, Minnesota, voluntarily turned himself in to the deputies, who took him into custody. Greenhalgh was transported to the Ashland County Jail, and released July 12 after serving a 60-day sentence for refusing to pay a fine from a previous Project ELF protest.

About 115 activists had gathered on Sunday at the remote transmitter facility deep in the Chequamegon National Forest of northern Wisconsin to hear speeches and music, including a couple of tunes from popular singer/songwriter, Dar Williams. Williams performed a benefit concert Friday evening in Duluth in support of peace groups in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

The 13th annual Mother's Day event, dubbed "Don't Shock Your Mother" (referring to the 1.3 million watts of electricity pumped into the ground at the site), included a traditional quarter-acre "web of life" spun with yarn by participants. ELF sends one-way extremely low frequency command signals to submerged nuclear missile-firing submarines around the world.

The action brought to 547 the number of trespass citations issued to protesters at the site since 1991.

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Four people arrested at Project ELF last January were convicted of trespass on April 4. Scott Griffiths, Scott Mathern-Jabobson, Lincoln Rice, and Matthew Schaaf all stated they would not pay the $212 fine, but were still given 60 days to pay before facing nine days in jail.

Defendant Schaaf told the court that participants in the nonviolent action were acting to uphold the law. He went on to say, "The purpose of the trespass ordinance is to protect persons and land, to respect space. But ELF is the ultimate insult and threat to persons, land and public space. ELF's presence is a monstrous trespass against the natural world. We acted to expose this discrepancy."

In his closing argument, Griffiths preempted the Judge's later complaint about the "effectiveness" of protesting at the ELF site. He argued that "What we did is right. You've heard all the arguments we have. We've tried letters, lobbying, a federal law suit and Congressional legislation - all to no avail. The courts are the only forums left to confront illegal actions of the government."

Nonetheless, Judge Eaton rambled before pronouncing sentence about "effectiveness," asking "How effective is it [trespassing]? You've said contacting Congress and circulating petitions doesn't work. Trespassing doesn't work either. If you want to see ELF closed, don't come here, go to a federal court."

Despite the chance for a federal court hearing offered by the Silence Trident action, Ashland County has again picked up the ball for federal prosecutors in that case.

On May 2, Joel Kilgour was also convicted of trespass at Project ELF last January, and given 60 days to pay a $212 fine.

Dan Buchanan, Mike Miles, and Gail Vaughn were scheduled for trial on July 10, but did not appear. Vaughn reached Judge Eaton by phone that morning and was tried "telephonically", convicted and given the now standard $212 fine, 60 days to pay. For more information, contact Nukewatch, P.O. Box 649, Luck, WI 54853; (715)472-4185; nukewtch@win.bright.net