Blockade arrest at Creech Air Force Base

Posted on November 13, 2024
A small group of activists with Veterans for Peace, CodePink and Ban Killer Drones converged October 13 – 19 in the southern Nevada desert at Creech Air Force Base (AFB) for a week of nonviolent resistance to the illegal US. drone warfare program. They traveled from four states for the 15th annual protest at the base, located an hour northwest of Las Vegas. Some participated for the entire week and others came when they could, but they shared one thing in common: an abhorrence of the inhumanity and illegality of the U.S. drone program that takes human life remotely and covertly from thousands of miles away.
Some of the week’s twice-daily commute hour vigils emphasized the horrors of Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, assisted remotely by U.S. drone pilots and operators. On October 16, a nonviolent blockade of the entrance road temporarily halted business as usual at the base with a large banner:  “Send Food to Gaza, not Weapons to Israel”. Most blockaders stayed in the road until police gave dispersal orders. Toby Blomé held the blockade for as long as possible, displaying a sign directed at the Creech AFB commander: “Prosecute Col. Pederson 4 War Crimes.” She was arrested, detained for an hour, then cited and released.

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60 Days for New Hampshire direct action at arms factory

Posted on November 13, 2024
Four women have each been sentenced to two months in jail in New Hampshire, after pleading guilty in September to charges of misdemeanor criminal mischief and criminal trespass following their November 20, 2023 direct action to disrupt production at Elbit Systems in Merrimack. Elbit is notoriously Israel’s largest arms manufacturer, with factories and offices across both Great Britain and the United States being a focus of anti-war protest and direct action. 
During the November action, supporters had blocked the entry road before the morning shift arrived. Sophie Ross, Bridget Shergalis and Calla Walsh approached the Elbit factory, chained the doors shut, broke windows, marked graffiti and ascended to the roof of the building. Standing on the roof, they poured red paint down the front wall and held aloft colorful theatrical smoke flares that drew the attention of arriving workers to their protest. 

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Indigenous Peoples’ Day arrest at Nevada nuclear test site

Posted on November 1, 2024

On October 14, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Catherine Hourcade crossed the boundary line of the Nevada National Security Site and was arrested. She was given a citation for trespass with a notice to appear in Nye County Court on December 9.   

A short while earlier, she had joined with others in a Shoshone/Paiute sunrise ceremony, led by Jeremiah Jones. The group then walked the short distance to the entrance of the nuclear weapons test site. Carrying the tribal permit Jones had issued, granting Hourcade permission to be on Shoshone land, she entered test site property and handed the officer the permit along with her ID. He asked her why she had trespassed, and whether it was because of the Shoshone. “Yes!”, she replied, “This is sacred Shoshone land and you don’t belong here!” She told the officer about the contamination there because of nuclear bomb tests.

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Two women arrested at Beale Air Force Base protest

Posted on November 1, 2024
by Chris Nelson
Catherine Hourcade (retired RN from Stockton) and Chris Nelson (Nurse Practitioner from Chico) were arrested on October 9th at Beale Air Force Base in Marysville, California during a one-year anniversary commemoration of the genocide in Gaza. We are involved with Occupy Beale, a coalition of northern California peace activists who have demonstrated against militarism at Beale Air Force Base every month for 14 years. 
Because October is “Keep Space for Peace” month, we also included this issue in the letter we addressed to the new base commander. Catherine and I read it to the military staff at the Main Gate of Beale, then gave it to an MP to be delivered to Colonel Keagan L. McLeese. 

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Germany intends to expel American nuclear resister

Posted on September 10, 2024

Dennis DuVall and wife Michelle Shiloh

October 31 Update
The Ausländeramt in Kamenz has decided that Dennis can stay in Germany until the Landesdirektion Sachsen in Dresden has made a decision on the Widerspruch presented by his attorney. In her appeal she is asking for a family residency permit for Dennis. 

On October 31, Germany intends to expel U.S. citizen Dennis DuVall, 82, a resident of Radeberg, Germany, a member of Veterans For Peace, and a nuclear resister against U.S./NATO thermonuclear bombs deployed at Büchel NATO base in Germany.

The German expulsion order describes DuVall’s nuclear resistance as a serious threat to security and public order. DuVall believes he has a legal obligation to resist planning and preparation for nuclear war taking place at Büchel NATO base, a violation of international laws and a crime according to the Nuremberg Charter and Principles. 
“B61-12 nuclear bombs and F35 warplanes at Büchel will push NATO closer to war,” warns DuVall, “and redeploying medium-range missiles in Germany also raises the alarm of a wider European war.”
DuVall invites peace and anti-war/anti-weapons groups and individuals to support his fight to remain in Germany. You can sign a petition by clicking here.

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Protesters in court for Mother’s Day action at nuclear sub base

Posted on August 19, 2024

Photo by Mary Gleysteen

Sue Ablao, Mack Johnson, Gilberto Perez, Michael Firefly Siptroth and Caroline Wildflower appeared before Judge Pro Tem Kyle A. Joyce in Kitsap Country Traffic Court August 13, 2024, seeking mitigation of “pedestrian in the roadway” citations and fines for blocking traffic to the Trident Submarine Base on Mother’s Day, May 12. (Carolee Flaten was out of town and sought mitigation by mail.)

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Five nuclear resisters arrested at Vandenberg Space Force Base

Posted on August 18, 2024

Photo by Felice Cohen-Joppa

Jeff Dietrich and Catherine Morris of the Los Angeles Catholic Worker renewed their wedding vows on Saturday, August 10 during a protest at California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base (formerly Air Force Base). Seventy-five people joined them to celebrate their 50th anniversary – five decades together of community, hospitality, love and resistance! – and to commemorate the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The U.S. test-launches nuclear missiles from the Vandenberg base. 

After renewing their vows, Catherine and Jeff crossed onto base property (90-year-old Catherine with the aid of a walker), along with Frank Cordaro, Nuri Ronaghe and Dimitri Kadiev. All were cited and released.

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Eight blockaders arrested at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor

Posted on August 17, 2024

Eight nuclear weapons abolition activists were removed from the roadway on the morning of August 5 by the Washington State Patrol after blocking the entrance to Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, site of the world’s largest concentration of deployed nuclear weapons. The action was part of the annual demonstration organized by the Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action to commemorate the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan in August 1945.

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A prison comic: “Why is my Grandma in Prison?”

Posted on August 17, 2024

Susan Crane and Susan van der Hijden spent a lot of time in their shared cell at Rohrbach prison. Add paper and colored pencils to the mix, along with the desire to create something special for Susan Crane’s grandchildren… and the attached comic – “Why is my Grandma in Prison?” – is the result! A collaboration by the two Susans, with artwork by Susan van der Hijden – wonderful!

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Arrests at Livermore Lab commemorate Hiroshima bombing

Posted on August 17, 2024

Tri-Valley CAREs photo of Karen Topakian

from Tri-Valley CAREs

Activists Solemnly Gather for “Back to the Brink” Event Commemorating the Bombing of Hiroshima

by Scott Yundt 

Around 100 people gathered at the Westgate entrance to Livermore Lab on the morning of Tuesday, August 6, 2024 to commemorate the 79th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. The theme of the event was Back from the Brink: the imperative of nuclear abolition. A wonderful slate of speakers provided compelling insights and actions for the engaged audience. These speakers included Maylene Hughes – Back from the Brink Campaign and Physicians for Social Responsibility, Scott Yundt – Tri-Valley CAREs, Norman Solomon – journalist and author, Patricia Ellsberg – social activist and wife of Daniel Ellsberg, Hideaki Ito – director of the documentary film Silent Fallout, and Reverend Monica Cross – CA Poor Peoples Campaign. Participants were then led in a Japanese Tradition of Bon, performing symbolic dance steps in the road to remember the nearly quarter million dead of 79 years ago. Lastly 23 people took part in nonviolent civil disobedience by blocking the gate to the Lab after the Police issued the call to disperse. These protestors were cited and released.

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