Christian Protesters Arrested at Downing Street in Gaza Protest

Posted on December 31, 2023

Photo by Pat Gaffney

Two Christian protesters were arrested at Downing Street in London on December 29 after pouring fake blood, putting bloody handprints on the gates and reading the names of dead children killed by Israel and Hamas.

Virginia Moffat (58) and Chris Cole (60) from Dorset said that the government had “blood on its hands” after refusing to demand Israel end its bombing of Gaza, calling it “a massacre of biblical proportions”.  Moffat said, “We did it because we can’t bear what we are watching day in day out. We did it because our government is complicit by continuing to arm Israel and refusing to back a ceasefire… We did it because every life is precious, Israeli and Palestinian. And because this violence has to end.”

They were held for eight hours before being released on bail, with conditions to not carry paint in public and to stay outside of the M25 (London orbital road). They are scheduled to appear in court the following week.

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Two arrested at the Pentagon to commemorate the Feast of the Massacre of the Holy Innocents

Posted on December 28, 2023

from Art Laffin, Dorothy Day Catholic Worker

Dear Friends,

From 7 – 8 a.m. on December 28, ten peacemakers witnessed at the Pentagon to commemorate the Feast of the Massacre of the Holy Innocents. The witness was organized by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker in conjunction with the Little Flower Catholic Worker and Norfolk Catholic Worker.

We act in prayerful solidarity with many sisters and brothers today in the U.S. and elsewhere who are commemorating this special feast day by engaging in acts of public witness in resistance to a warmaking empire.  

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2,400 Arrests Calling for CEASEFIRE NOW

Posted on December 28, 2023

Jewish Voice for Peace photo

From the Nuclear Resister

When the long-simmering war between Hamas and the state of Israel exploded into a rolling boil on October 7, demands for a ceasefire quickly dominated demonstrations around the world.

Following is a day-by-day chronicle of more than 2,400 arrests in the first two months since then, at more than 75 demonstrations across 22 states and provinces in the United States and Canada. It marks the largest surge of anti-war arrests since mid-April, 2003, when the Nuclear Resister chronicled over 7,500 anti-war arrests in the U.S. alone in the lead-up to and first weeks of the second U.S. invasion of Iraq.

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Eighteen arrested at U.S. Mission to the U.N. demanding the U.S. sign the Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty

Posted on December 1, 2023

Photo by Felton Davis

On November 30, activists affixed a 10-foot-long sticker to the windows of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations which read, “U.S. sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.” This strong message to the U.S. Mission was delivered by members of the Atlantic Life Community, Catholic Workers, New York City War Resisters League and Nukewatch.  

The nuclear abolition activists, holding signs and banners and singing protest songs, blocked all three entrance doors to the U.S. Mission. Soon after the blockade was in place, the Mission played a taped message instructing employees to “shelter in place”.

After two hours, eighteen blockaders were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. They were processed within a couple of hours and released with a December 20 court date.

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Six activists arrested calling on Raytheon to end profiting from war crimes

Posted on November 15, 2023

photo credit of Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal

Activists from across the country gathered outside of Raytheon’s office in Arlington, Virginia at 12:00 noon on November 8 to confront the war profiteer on its role in producing weapons that are causing extreme suffering and death to innocent children, women, and men around the world.

As they gathered on the sidewalk outside of Raytheon, some of the individuals lay on the sidewalk and were covered with sheets representing people around the world who have been killed in U.S. wars using weapons made by the war profiteer. Others mourned over large dolls representing the children who have been killed by Raytheon’s weapons. Sidewalks are normally a public place where people can exercise their First Amendment rights. However, in this case Raytheon controls the sidewalk. When asked to leave by the police, a number of activists said that because of the suffering and death caused by weapons produced by Raytheon, they could not leave until Raytheon agreed to stop producing weapons. Eventually six people were arrested as they followed their conscience. 

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Activists shut down nuclear submarine facility in Connecticut

Posted on November 14, 2023

photo by Claire Schaeffer-Duffy

from the Atlantic Life Community

Nine peace activists were arrested and charged with criminal trespass, criminal mischief and breach of peace on the morning of November 13 during a blockade of the two main entrances to the General Dynamics-Electric Boat (GD-EB) nuclear submarine engineering complex in New London, Connecticut, where nuclear submarines are designed. 
Holding long banners spanning the driveways, the activists blocked cars of employees entering the facility for the morning shift. The 24-foot banners read “Building Nuclear Weapons is Illegal, Abide By Our Treaties, Stop Building Weapons of Mass Destruction.”
At each entrance one activist wheat-pasted on the driveway Article 6 from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, ratified by the United States in 1968, which commits us to nuclear disarmament.  

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Kansas City judge finds nuclear abolition activist “not guilty”

Posted on October 30, 2023

Photo by Kriss Avery

from PeaceWorks Kansas City

by Jane Stoever

Shock. The courtroom, with about 25 supporters of the defendant, was steeled to hear Judge Anne LaBella say, “Guilty.” The case had been heard. All indicators were that Ann Suellentrop, who pleaded not guilty to committing the crime of trespass on May 29, Memorial Day, at the massive Kansas City, Missouri nuclear weapon production plant, would be declared guilty and most likely endure a lengthy appeal process. The prosecutor had repeatedly objected to Suellentrop’s statements and those of her one witness, retired lawyer Henry Stoever, and only once did the judge not sustain the objections.

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Three climate activists arrested at Beale Air Force Base

Posted on October 20, 2023

On October 19, three climate protesters were arrested at Beale Air Force Base in California after crossing the demarcation line to demand climate justice. They held signs reading, “Our War Against Nature Must End” and “War is Incompatible with Life on Earth”. Among the three detained were two youth protesters who attempted to deliver a letter to base commander Geoffrey Church demanding the shut down of the base. These same two youth protesters, prior to crossing the demarcation line, also read a statement decrying the military’s involvement in the climate crisis. The video of the statement and subsequent arrest is here.

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Protesters blocked the entrances of defense contractor L3 Technologies, seven arrests

Posted on October 19, 2023

Photo by Hannah

Protesters take aim at city defense contractor L3 Technologies

by Alexander Macdougall
Staff Writer
Published: 10/12/2023 4:42:37 PM

NORTHAMPTON — Around two dozen protesters blocked the driveway entrances to defense contractor L3Harris Technologies on Thursday, using a boat and two boat trailers, chaining themselves to the makeshift barricades and holding up signs including “Rock the boat. The tide is rising. All hands on deck.”

The use of boats to block the entrance to the 50 Prince St. building at Village Hill Northampton symbolized that the day of the protest, Oct. 12, is the day that Christopher Columbus first landed on the island of Hispaniola in 1492. The protest was organized by Demilitarize Western Mass against L3Harris, a publicly traded technology company and defense contractor headquartered in Florida that counts the U.S. and Saudi Arabian militaries among its client base.

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11 activists arrested during sit-in at Senator Bernie Sanders’ office

Posted on October 19, 2023

CODEPINK photo

from CODEPINK

by Danaka Katovich, CODEPINK National Co-Director

On October 4, CODEPINK walked the halls of Congress with over 60 people who came from all over the world to call for negotiations, not escalation in Ukraine following an anti-war rally on the evening of October 3 with Dr. Cornel West as the keynote speaker. The purpose of the last two days has been to point out the hypocrisy of progressives who fund endless wars, even progressive champion: Bernie Sanders.

Our action in the morning began with a sit-in in Senator Bernie Sanders’ office that resulted in the arrest of 11 of us — including a peace movement elder named Joan, who is 89-years-old.

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