Goodbye Project ELF

by Bonnie Urfer

The three decades long resistance campaign to shut-off Project ELF has come to an end. Nukewatch joined the renewed STOP Project ELF effort in 1991 and for the past 13 years has been organizing primarily with the Loaves and Fishes Community in Duluth, Minnesota and the Anathoth Community Farm in Luck, Wisconsin, to keep activities creative and meaningful.

Activists gathered at ELF a minimum of three times and often 6 or 7 times each year. In 1992 resisters crossed the line in nine out of 12 months.

In total, 58 actions have taken place since 1991, including two Plowshares acts of disarmament. Three pole cuttings happened in the 1980s -- two in Wisconsin and one at the Upper Michigan site. Rough estimates put total jail and prison time served for resistance to Project ELF at more than nine years. With that much incarcer-ation, we'll take some credit for the facility shut-down.

Thank you and congratulations to everyone who participated in person or with contributions for this grand success in the movement for peace.

The Nuclear Resister
October 2004