Photo by Marcia Gagliardi
Eleven women from Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire chained and locked the main gate of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon, Vermont on Friday afternoon, April 22. Police arrested the women and charged them with trespass.
The demonstrators carried two banners reading “No More Leaks / No More Lies / Shut It Down Now” and “No More Accidents / Shut it Down Now.” They also stretched yellow caution tape across the Entergy driveway and noticed that spray-painted warnings they applied several months ago are still visible.
After the arrests, state and local police transported the women to the Vernon police station, where they were cited and released pending a June 20 appearance in Brattleboro’s Windham District Court.
Arrested from Vermont were Julie Levy, 61, of Weathersfield, Robin Lloyd, 72, of Burlington, and Nina Swaim, 73, of Sharon. Massachusetts arrestees were Betsy Corner, 63 of Colrain, Frances Crowe, 92, of Northampton, Marcia Gagliardi, 63, of Athol, Jean Grossholtz, 82, of South Hadley, Ellen Graves, 70, of West Springfield, Hattie Nestel, 72, also of Athol, and Paki Wieland, 67, also of Northampton. Jennifer Wright, 64, of Unity, New Hampshire, was also arrested.
The eleven read the following statement after chaining the gate shut:
We are here today to shut down the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant IMMEDIATELY and WITHOUT DELAY and FOR GOOD.
We are appalled at the irresponsible action of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in granting Entergy permission to operate this dangerous facility for more than another twenty years.
Because the federal government and Entergy will not honor the public good by shutting down Vermont Yankee, we must take this action and SHUT IT DOWN NOW.
No more accidents.
No more leaks.
No more lies.
No more tax subsidies.
No more.
Enough.
SHUT IT DOWN NOW.