Six “Peace Patrol” activists were arrested while attempting a citizen’s arrest of California drone base commander

Photo by Pamela Osgood

Photo by Pamela Osgood

Occupy Beale Anti-drone Activists Order Air Force Personnel to “Disperse Immediately” and Cease in their Complicity in Trespassing against the Human Rights of People Living Under U.S. Drones

Six “Peace Patrol” activists were detained while attempting a citizens arrest of the commander of the base, Col. Larry Broadwell, for his high level role in crimes against humanity committed daily at Beale Air Force Base (AFB). Beale is home to the Global Hawk Drone, which plays a critical role in the unlawful surveillance and ultimate targeting of individuals in the U.S. drone assassination program. Occupy Beale AFB invites other anti-militarism groups around the world to create their own International Peace Patrol contingents, in a global effort to create a just and peaceful world. (Copycat behavior encouraged).

Watch video of the action here.

 » Read more…

Mass protests in China put nuclear reprocessing plans on hold

Police in Lianyungang, China questioning Mr. Wei about “disrupting social order." SCMP Photo

Police in Lianyungang, China questioning Mr. Wei about “disrupting social order.” SCMP Photo

Compiled from reports in the South China Morning Post and Globaltimes.cn

Thousands of residents of Lianyungang, a port city in China’s eastern Jiangsu province, took to the streets for four days of anti-nuclear protest, (coincidently?) from Hiroshima Day, Saturday, August 6 through Nagasaki Day, August 9.

The mass assemblies began just days after it was revealed that the city was favored on a short-list of potential sites for a joint French-Chinese uranium reprocessing facility that is integral to China’s expansive nuclear power plans.

 » Read more…

Blocking two gates of Livermore nuclear weapons lab, 45 activists arrested on anniversary of Nagasaki bombing

Daniel and Patricia Ellsberg participating in "die in" in the road in front of the Livermore Lab West Gate, awaiting arrest. Photo by Heather Davison.

Daniel and Patricia Ellsberg participating in “die in” in the road in front of the Livermore Lab West Gate, awaiting arrest. Photo by Heather Davison.

Standing with Survivors of the Bomb in Livermore

from Tri-Valley Cares

by Marylia Kelley

Approximately 200 anti-nuclear activists gathered outside the Livermore Nuclear Weapons Lab on August 9 to commemorate the 71st anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Nagasaki – and to stand with survivors of nuclear weapons from Hiroshima to the Marshall Islands.

Keynote speakers included famed whistleblower and nuclear weapons analyst, Daniel Ellsberg, atomic-bomb survivor, Nobuaki Hanaoka, and Executive Director of Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy, John Burroughs. Tara Dorabji with Tri-Valley CAREs gave the group a sense of place with her description of current nuclear weapons work at Livemore Lab, while Chizu Hamada drew links between the nuclear bomb and nuclear power.

 » Read more…

Four activists arrested blocking road into Trident nuclear sub base

13962531_1054830451219441_6727659786036902118_n (1)from Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action

Peace flotilla and protest at Trident nuclear submarine base mark anniversary of atomic bombings

Silverdale, Washington: Local peace activists staged a water-based nonviolent protest and witness for peace in Hood Canal at the Trident nuclear submarine base on August 9, marking the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. The activists traveled along the Bangor waterfront where nuclear warheads and Trident missiles are loaded onto submarines and where submarines are resupplied for ballistic missile patrols in the Pacific Ocean. On August 8, activists staged a vigil and nonviolent direct action in which some activists blocked the entrance gate to the same Naval base.

 » Read more…

When protest becomes Sacrament: Grady sisters heed a higher call

The Grady sisters, (L-R) Teresa, Ellen and Clare. (Photo: Nicholas Kusnetz)

The Grady sisters, (L-R) Teresa, Ellen and Clare. (Photo: Nicholas Kusnetz)

from Inside Climate News

These Catholic social justice advocates are exemplars of the force behind We Are Seneca Lake, one of the nation’s longest-running campaigns of civil disobedience.

August 10, 2016

by Nicholas Kusnetz

On a warm May morning, two dozen people wearing blue shirts formed a neat line in front of the gates of a natural gas compressor station in central New York. The facility lay hidden somewhere in the trees behind them, and just beyond was Seneca Lake, a 38-mile azure gash through deep green hills that provides drinking water to 100,000 people. The sun crept over a ridge on the far side of the lake. It was still early enough to intercept the day’s first delivery.

Within minutes, a tanker truck neared the gates and pulled onto the shoulder. Word soon came that sheriff’s deputies were on their way, and the protesters started singing a verse that became a spiritual anthem of the civil rights movement.

 » Read more…

Four arrested at Vandenberg Air Force Base on Hiroshima Day

At-line.1556

Photo by Rozella Apel-Hernandez

from the Los Angeles Catholic Worker

On August 6, 30 members of the Los Angeles Catholic Worker, the Guadalupe Catholic Worker and Veterans for Peace gathered at Vandenberg Air Force Base in central California to commemorate the 71st anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. During their peace vigil, Mike Wisniewski and Karan Benton were approached by base security and warned that they were in violation of Ban and Bar letters (letters received from the base commander after prior arrests there, notifying them that they were now banned and barred from entering the base without written permission from the base commander). The two activists were asked to leave immediately or face arrest. Wisniewski chose to leave the protest area, while Benton refused to leave and was immediately arrested.

 » Read more…

Woman arrested blocking road into Y12 nuclear plant on anniversary of Hiroshima bombing

OREPA photo

OREPA photo

from Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance

CITIZENS CALL FOR END TO NUCLEAR WEAPONS PRODUCTION IN OAK RIDGE
DURING HIROSHIMA COMMEMORATION

ONE ARRESTED IN ACT OF CIVIL RESISTANCE

Even before the sun rose on August 6 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the deep sound of a pealing bell resonated across the landscape, and the names of Hiroshima victims were read aloud, an origami peace crane tied for each one on a makeshift fence across from the main entrance to the Y12 Nuclear Weapons Complex.

 » Read more…

URGENT – support needed: Chelsea Manning faces new charges and indefinite solitary detention related to suicide attempt

13895087_1260090940697636_5012041273576840205_nURGENT – support needed for imprisoned whistleblower Chelsea Manning. Please sign and share: “Tell the Secretary of the Army: Punishing Chelsea Manning for attempting to take her own life after systemic mistreatment is inhumane. Drop these new charges, and immediately give Chelsea access to adequate health care.” https://www.freechelsea.com/

From the ACLU

Government Continues to Deny Manning Access to Health Care

July 28, 2016

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — Imprisoned whistleblower Chelsea Manning received a document from Army officials today informing her that she is being investigated for serious new charges related to her July 5th attempt to take her own life.

 » Read more…

Month-long nonviolent resistance at Burghfield nuclear weapons factory

sworod1467114987A month of coordinated blockades of England’s AWE Burghfield nuclear weapons factory in June got an unexpected boost when bobbies opted to avoid arresting nonviolent campaigners who had locked themselves together to block the gates.

About 50 people joined the protest on Monday morning, June 6 when a colorful cloth “red line” banner was used to block the main gate and lock-downs halted traffic on two roads leading to the construction gate. The organizing group, Trident Ploughshares, had asked police not to interfere with their intervention against weapons of mass destruction but were surprised by the lack of police response. By that evening, the demonstration evolved into a single blockade, closer to the construction gate. A core group of about 20 people settled in for the night.

 » Read more…

Activists at Beale AFB honor the life of recent drone victim; seven arrested after crossing the line

Mauro Oliveira - photo by Fred Bialy

Mauro Oliveira – photo by Fred Bialy

REPORT BACK: OCCUPY BEALE AFB, June 27 & 28, 2016

by Toby Blomé

On June 28 seven northern California peace activists crossed the military base boundary line, one after the other, in an extended interruption of “business as usual” at Beale Air Force Base near Marysville, Calif., to continue their monthly resistance to the illegal U.S. targeted killing policies. Just prior to the arrests, activists had hung a yellow Crime Scene tape across the roadway leading into the base. The Global Hawk surveillance drone is actively involved in the drone assassination program, used as a tool to identify and track potential targets.

Arrestees include: Chris Nelson (Chico), Mauro Oliveira (Montgomery Creek), Shirley Osgood (Grass Valley), Chris Knudson (Paso Robles), Flora Rogers (Marysville), Michael Kerr (Bay Pt.) and Toby Blomé (El Cerrito).

 » Read more…