The Nuclear Resister

Most of the Hancock 38 (click on photo to enlarge)

by Carol Baum of the Syracuse Peace Council

After five long days in court, closing arguments were heard in the Hancock 38 Drone Resisters trial on Saturday, November 5. But it’s not quite over – Judge Gideon will give the verdict on Thursday, December 1 at 5 pm at the Town of DeWitt Court House (5400 Butternut Dr., East Syracuse). Please come. Dates can change, so contact SPC for updates.

Tuesday, November 1 marked the first day of the trial of the Hancock 38 Drone Resisters, activists from upstate New York and beyond who participated in a “die-in” at the main entrance of Hancock Air National Guard Base just outside Syracuse last April. The action symbolized the indiscriminate killing of civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan by hunter-killer reaper drones and protested the reaper here and elsewhere. The defendants also attempted to deliver an indictment to the base commander focusing on the illegality of the drones; the indictment was taken and thrown to the ground.

Nevada Test Site, photo by Carol Bradsen

Over 100 people held an interfaith service at the entrance to Nevada’s nuclear testing grounds on October 9. The group then processed towards the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS, formerly called the Nevada Test Site). At 11:30 a.m., 37 men and 22 women were arrested by Nye County sheriffs for crossing onto the NNSS. Upon release, many of the nuclear abolitionists then went to Creech Air Force Base, where 18 were arrested around 3:00 p.m. by Las Vegas Metro Police. The activists prayed for peace at both locations in historical Shoshone and Paiute territory. Most of the arrestees were in the area for an international Catholic Worker gathering.

People arrested at the NNSS were quickly cited and released, and no further prosecution is expected, per the custom of many years for Test Site main gate arrests. Those arrested at Creech were taken to Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, where they were cited and released before midnight on a range of charges including “illegal assembly” and “jaywalking.” Court appearances are scheduled for December 5 and 7 in Clark County regional court. The arrests were part of the largest anti-war demonstration at Creech Air Force Base, and the largest anti-nuclear civil resistance action in at least six years at NNSS.

Dear friends,

October 7 marked the 10th anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan.  While most of Australia has been trying to forget about this war which has claimed 28 Australian and tens of thousands of Afghan lives, some of us felt moved enough to go to the place where many, if not most, Australian troops deploy to fight what is called the war on terror (really, the war of terror).

About 25 folks gathered at the main gate of Brisbane’s Enoggera Army Base at 2.30 p.m. We planted white crosses with the names of the dead, both Australian and Afghan. We held placards with various messages, such as “Bring the Troops Home” and “War is Terror”, and placed a ten meter banner reading “In the Name of God, Stop the Wars” on the side fence.

photo by Mauro Heck

Over 150 people, most Catholic religious sisters and calling themselves “Friends of Francis”, converged at the main gate of Offutt Air Force Base, home of STRATCOM, on Sunday, October 2 to pray and act for peace.  Coming from numerous Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota cities, the group was commemorating the 25th anniversary of the October 4, 1986 Ecumenical Peace Gathering in Assisi and the annual feast of the man of peace, Francis of Assisi, as well as marking the tragic 10th anniversary of the beginning of the U.S. war with Afghanistan on October 6.

The gathering included prayers, singing and dancing. Martha Hennessy, the granddaughter of Dorothy Day – the founder of the Catholic Worker – was one of the speakers. At the end of the service the group moved onto the drive leading to the main gate of Offutt Air Force Base. Traffic was blocked while a statement was read, and three people crossed the property line and were immediately detained by base security. (See text of statement below)

Delaney Bruce, Executive Director of the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee shared these words with supporters, following a telephone conversation with the imprisoned activist on October 1:

He’s doing well and is relieved to be out of Lewisburg. Leonard is no longer in solitary and his privileges have been restored (and ahead of schedule). He believes the living conditions at Coleman are much better and he’s met up with some old friends he knew at Leavenworth. He’s surrounded by Indigenous brothers, again, too. He asked me to thank all of you for all you’ve done on his behalf. He feels truly blessed.

The LPDOC also writes today of a critical support opportunity–