One could imagine the U.S. military was somewhat put off by the Menwith Hill occupations of July 3rd and 4th, if judged by their response ten days later, half a world away. Greenpeace activists sailed two boats into the launch "safety zone" of the California coast at Vandenberg Air Force Base, delaying the planned launch of the target missile for a "Star Wars" interceptor test for 40 minutes .

Fifteen, including two who had swum ashore, plus two independent journalists, were arrested on July 14 and jailed overnight. An international group representing eight countries, they were all arraigned the next day on two conspiracies: violating an order to stay out, and then entering the exclusion zone. The six Americans and Spanish videographer were given bail with travel restrictions. U.S. attorneys asked the court to keep the other internationals in jail until trial, but the court refused. Nine more internationals were released just after midnight, July 21, but forbidden to leave the country until their trial. Samir Nazarth of India was held four more days before his release under the same restriction.

In the weeks immediately following the arrests, activists around the globe rallied under the Greenpeace banner with demonstrations against Star Wars and in support of the 17 at U.S. embassies and consulates in New Zealand, Japan, Australia, Britain, Germany, Slovakia, Switzerland and the Czech republic. In Sweden and Finland, activists chained themselves to the embassy gates, resulting in 32 arrests, and on Hiroshima Day, eleven Greenpeace activists blockading the U.S. nuclear bomber base at Incirlik, Turkey, were arrested under the banners "Stop Star Wars - Not Peaceful Protest" and "No More Hiroshimas."

The Greenpeace ship MV Arctic Sunrise sailed into the waters off Greenland in early August, providing a base for nonviolent actions protesting a critical Star Wars radar at the U.S. military base at Thule. They. Four Danes and Norwegians were ejected from the area August 7 after draping a huge Stop Star Wars banner on the side of Dundas Mountain, overlooking the base. Three activists from the U.S., France, and the Netherlands, were arrested after hiking 45 miles cross country into the base to deliver a letter of protest to the commander. Danish police arrested them for trespass and released them the next day. On Nagasaki Day, Greenpeace activists representing six countries were joined by Greenland natives who were evicted from their homes in 1953 by the Pentagon outpost. In two inflatable boats, the group entered the base harbor to deliver the letter of protest. Danish police met the party and again ejected it from the base.

Back in California on August 13, a federal grand jury issued indictments against the 15 activists and two journalists, charging each with one felony conspiracy to enter a safety zone, and two misdemeanors: violating a Coast Guard order to stay out of the zone and trespass. Greenpeace reported that this is the first time in 30 years that their activists have faced felony conspiracy charges in the United States for their trademark marine actions.

The bail restrictions were relaxed on October 16, allowing the internationals to leave the country until trial.

Trial has been twice postponed, in part due to concerns that immediately after September 11, it could be difficult to get an impartial hearing of their case. Trial is now set to begin January 8, 2002 in federal court in Los Angeles. Seventeen defendants remain, but not the original seventeen. One American had charges dismissed, but a second indictment also included one "John Doe." Long-time Greenpeace mariner Henk Haazen, a resident of New Zealand who was present but not arrested in July, identified himself as John Doe. He contacted the court through an attorney and returned voluntarily October 31 to to face charges in Los Angeles.

From May into July, New Zealand Greenpeace activist Richard (Alice) Leney had camped on a small uninhabited island near Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, to bear witness to U.S. missile defense tests. Under pressure from the U.S. military, Marshall Islands police issued deportation orders and two days before the July test, arrested Leney. A "peace picnic" he had planned for the day of the test went on anyway, attended by about 60 locals. The deportation order was dropped August 6, and instead the Minister of Foreign Affairs issued a special order, requiring Leney to depart the Marshall Islands by the time his visa expired at the end of August.

VANDENBERG UPDATES

Four members of the Los Angeles Catholic Worker affinity group arrested May 19 in the backcountry of Vandenberg Air Force Base faced trial July 31 in federal court. Brian Buckley, Scott Galindez, Marcus Page and Elizabeth Wyrsch were convicted of misdemeanor conspiracy and two counts of trespass. Buckley, who had refused bail since his arrest, was released from jail in mid-August and was sentenced with the others on October 15. Scott Galindez was ordered to prison for three months, and he and Page were ordered to pay $60 court fees. Buckley, Wyrsch and Page were sentenced to one year probation, with Buckley and Wyrsch also being fined $500 plus fees. The three sentenced to probation told the court they would not pay fines or fees, and were likely to resist compliance with probation. Galindez w as given two weeks stay before beginning his imprisonment.

As he prepared to go to jail, Scott Galindez wrote to friends, "...These are not easy times for any of us, our faith in our work is tested. We wonder if we are making a difference. We are. A young Marine who was a conscientious objector (CO) during the Gulf War, Erik Larson, credited the writings of [slain Salvadorian Bishop] Oscar Romero for making him question our government's military. If it wasn't for the campus activists that handed out literature he may have gone to the Gulf War. Activists may have saved his life... During the next 90 days I will be thinking of all of you out on the front lines working for peace. What you will be doing is much harder than what I will be doing. The hardest part for me will be not being able to join you... So remember when you hand a flier to someone you may be reaching a future activist that could make great accomplishments for peace and justice."

Two Catholic Worker co-defendants had previously pled guilty, Jeff (Robert) Dietrich to the three charges and Elizabeth Griswold to one count of trespass. Dietrich, who has also been in jail since his arrest, was sentenced August 6 to six months in prison, after he rejected probation by stating he intended to return to Vandenberg. Griswold received two years probation. Dietrich became seriously ill while at the Kern County Jail and for health reasons was eventually transferred to the federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, where he completed his sentence and was released just before Thanksgiving.

Four other men arrested in the Vandenberg backcountry last May have accepted plea agreements leading to a $100 fine and three years probation.

Of the 23 people arrested at the Vandenberg gate on May 19, 17 have now pled guilty and been sentenced to probation and a fine. The six remaining defendants - Sharon and Guarionex Delgado, Russell Jorgensen, Jon Orlando, Jennifer Schneider, and Steve Zavoduyik were set for trial October 26 in Santa Barbara, but at the last minute their case was moved to the federal court located on the sprawling Vandenberg Air Force Base. When they arrived for trial, they discovered their right to a public trial was inhibited by restrictions limiting who could enter the base. Only one local reporter, familiar with base procedure, had asked ahead to enter the base and attend. A paralegal who came to assist the six and their attorneys was one of those barred from entering the base. The defendants moved to have their charges dismissed because the case had been irrevocably tainted, even from the night of their arrest when their own attorney was not permitted onto the base for their arraignment. The judge refused the motion, but encouraged an appeal on the issues while postponing the trial until January, 2002.

A December 6 trial date has been set for 21 people who pleaded not guilty to trespass at Vandenberg on October 7, 2000. Co-defendant Martin Sheen, the "acting" President of the United States on the West Wing television show, pled guilty to the single count of trespass and was sentenced to three years probation and fined $500.

For more information, contact the Los Angeles Catholic Worker, 632 N. Brittania St., Los Angeles, CA 90033, (323)267-8789; the Greenpeace USA press officer at (805)291-1749, www.stopstarwars.org; or for October, 2000 defendants, attorneys William Simpich, (510)444-0226 or Jackie Cabasso, (510)839-5877.

***DECEMBER 13 UPDATE***

Los Angeles Catholic Workers Elizabeth Wyrsch and Brian Buckley are behind bars in California after their refusal to pay $500 fines nor cooperate with probation supervision. They were sentenced October 15 in federal court in Los Angeles for their occupation of Vandenberg Air Force base during a missile defense test in May, 2001.

Both were still regularly attending daily anti-war vigils at the federal building in Los Angeles, where U.S. marshals would see them as they'd come and go. Elizabeth Wyrsch was arrested as she vigiled on December 4, and on December 11, marshals arrested Brian Buckley at the vigil. Both are jailed until probation violation hearings sometime in January.

Letters of support can be sent to Scott Galindez #87333-012, and separately to Elizabeth Wyrsch #20407-112, both at Metropolitan Detention Center, POB 1500, Los Angeles, CA 90053 and Brian Buckley #1509572, Kern County Jail, 17645 Industrial Farm Rd., Bakersfield, CA 93308.