April 2017

IN THIS E-BULLETIN

GOOD FRIDAY ACTIONS FOR A PEACEFUL, NUCLEAR-FREE FUTURE at the Pentagon, Livermore Lab, Hancock Air Base, Lockheed Martin, Nevada nuclear test site

SACRED PEACE WALK ARRESTS IN NEVADA

SHUT DOWN CREECH ARRESTS

PLEASE SUPPORT IMPRISONED ANTI-NUCLEAR AND ANTI-WAR ACTIVISTS – THE NUCLEAR RESISTER NEEDS YOU!

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Good Friday actions for a peaceful, nuclear-free future 

PENTAGON

A Faith and Resistance retreat in Washington, D.C. included a public witness at the Pentagon on Good Friday that resulted in the arrests of four people.  While the rest of the group proceeded into the designated “protest zone” for readings, singing and more, Paul Magno, Bill Frankel-Streit, Kathy Boylan and Joe Byrne walked down the sidewalk toward the five-sided building.  They carried their signs as hundreds of Pentagon employees streamed into work: “For the Children – Stop all Warring,” “Our Prayer—A Disarmed World,”  “We Will Not Raise Our Children To Kill,” and “Mother of All Bombed—Forgive US.”  They were soon arrested, then processed and released after several hours with a violation notice to appear in court on June 1.

Read more here.

LIVERMORE LAB

Early in the morning on Good Friday, April 14, more than 100 peace activists gathered at Livermore nuclear weapons Lab in California.  They walked in a Stations of the Cross procession to the Lab’s west gate.  Twenty-nine participants of various ages and faith traditions were arrested after crossing onto Lab property.  They were given a court date of May 15 to appear in county court in Fremont.

Read more here.

HANCOCK AIR BASE

Nine peace activists were arrested on April 14 during a Good Friday witness against drone warfare at Hancock Air Base in New York.  While blocking the entrance into the base, some of them stood with arms outstretched against replicas of cross-shaped drones, while others held cut-outs of drones topped with signs, some of which read “Drones Crucify Love”, “Drones Crucify Families”, “Drones Crucify Due Process”, “Drones Crucify Diplomacy” and “Drones Crucify Peace”.  The activists were handcuffed and taken to the Onondaga County sheriff department’s north station. They were all released in less than an hour with charges of trespass and disorderly conduct.  Hancock hosts the 174th Attack Wing of the NY Air National Guard – the MQ9 Reaper drone hub. Hancock is also the national Reaper maintenance training center.

Read more here.

LOCKHEED MARTIN

At noon on April 14, the Brandywine Peace Community held their annual Good Friday Stations of Justice, Peace and Nonviolent Resistance at Lockheed Martin in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.  Crosses were laid between banners and signs, and readings were shared.  While a bell of peace continued to toll, a line of people stood across the main driveway entrance, praying for peace. Seven of the activists were arrested, and were later released from the Upper Merion police station with a disorderly conduct citation.

Read more here.

NEVADA NUCLEAR TEST SITE

On Good Friday, April 14, Catholic Workers and other anti-nuclear activists went to the Nevada National Security Site (formerly known as the Nevada nuclear Test Site) for a nuclear stations of the cross organized by the Las Vegas Catholic Worker. A nonviolent action at the boundary line of the site led to the arrests of four women and three men. They were processed and released on site.

Read more here.

Sacred Peace Walk arrests in Nevada

Nevada Desert Experience’s 23rd annual Sacred Peace Walk included Holy Week actions at Creech drone base and the Nevada nuclear test site. On April 11, the interfaith activists protested drones at Creech Air Force Base. The peaceful vigil ended at 8:30 a.m. with Las Vegas metro police arresting five participants who blocked the roadway entrance to the drone base. Traffic was backed up for a mile and a half before a second gate was opened.

Read more here.

Shut Down Creech arrests

Drone warfare resisters gathered for the 3rd annual Shut Down Creech actions, April 23-29. Activists from across the United States joined daily themed vigils at the gate of Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada.  On Wednesday morning, April 26, seven activists, all dressed in black and holding symbolic tombstones marked with the names and ages of children killed by U.S. drone strikes, were arrested for blocking the base entrance. Simultaneously, eight others blocked Highway 95 (the main commuter route for drone pilots) several miles south of the base for 15 minutes but they were not arrested.

The next day, April 27, activists again blocked Highway 95 several miles away from the base, stopping only Creech-bound traffic until police arrived.  Their banners read:  “Shut down Creech” and “Drone Pilots, Refuse to Fly.” Toby Blome and Ronald Mecklosky were arrested and taken to jail in Las Vegas, where they were held on $2000 bail each. Later that day, Blome’s daughter Margeaux Temeltas, who had been present both days providing support for the highway blockades, was arrested by police who came to the group’s camp site. Mecklosky and Temeltas were released that evening, while Blome was held until 4 a.m. the next day.

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!