Winter 2022

IN THIS E-BULLETIN

AMERICAN CONVICTED IN GERMAN COURT  

MARK COLVILLE DUE BACK IN COURT

ACTIVIST ARRESTED AT TWO DRONE BASES

DIGGING UNDER THE FENCE AT VOLKEL AIR BASE

TWO ARRESTS DURING RAYTHEON BLOCKADE 

NAGASAKI DAY ACTION AT BANGOR SUB BASE   

“PRISON AS AN UNAVOIDABLE AND USEFUL PART OF RESISTANCE”

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

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Dear friends,

Can you please help us reach our goal as the first month of 2022 draws to a close, and enable us to continue the important work of the Nuclear Resister in the coming year?

We have $2,700 to go to reach the $15,000 matching fund – Yes, your donation will be doubled before the end of January!

Any contribution made online before the end of January, or put in the mail before the end of January will be matched, dollar for dollar, by a generous Nuclear Resister supporter. 

To donate via paypal or find out where to send a check, and to learn how your donation can be tax-deductible, go to the Nuclear Resister website: http://www.nukeresister.org/donate/.

Thanks – and thank you to the many people who have already donated!!

Onward, to a peaceful and nuclear-free future…

Peace,
Felice and Jack
Coordinators, The Nuclear Resister

P.S. The photo above shows the cupcakes we baked to celebrate the first 59 nations to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons! We brought them to share with Tucson activists as we demonstrated outside Raytheon on January 21 to mark the first anniversary of the Treaty’s Entry into Force. (photo below by Kathy Altman) The new nuclear air-launched cruise missile is being made by Raytheon in Tucson, and the group gave the war profiteer notice that their nuclear weapons work violates the spirit and letter of the Treaty and is illegal under international law.

The first meeting of states parties is scheduled for March: https:www.icanw.org/tpnw_first_meeting_of_states_parties

There were many other actions in the U.S. and around the world to celebrate the first anniversary!

Read more about the Treaty on the ICAN website: https://www.icanw.org/

The Nuclear Resister is one of ICAN’s partner organizations.
ICAN is the 2017 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

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American convicted in German court   

A long-time U.S. peace activist was found guilty of four counts of trespassing on January 17 in Cochem, Germany, charges that stemmed from multiple protests against the stationing of U.S. nuclear weapons at Germany’s Büchel Air Force Base in the west-central state of Rhineland-Pfalz. Susan Crane, a member of the Redwood City, California Catholic Worker House and a Plowshares disarmament activist, was tried by District Judge Alexander Fleckenstein who imposed a fine of 1,000 Euros or 200 days in jail. The sentence was heavier than in recent related protest cases, the judge explained, because Crane showed no remorse for joining several “go-in” actions involving entry into the base.

Read more here.

Mark Colville due back in court

Most of the Kings Bay Plowshares, now done with their prison sentences, are on three years of supervised release. Mark Colville received a notice in November to appear in a Hartford, Connecticut courtroom for a “compliance hearing” due to noncooperation with some conditions of release: refusal to submit to a drug test or to voluntarily disclose all of his personal financial information. After a couple of postponements, he is scheduled to appear in front of Judge Michael P. Shea on February 4.  

Read Mark’s thoughts about noncooperation, including his letter to the judge, here.

Activist arrested at two drone bases        

Activist and organizer Toby Blomé was arrested with little warning near the entrances of two U.S. drone warfare bases in autumn of 2021. She had not intended to risk arrest. On November 22 at Beale Air Force Base in Marysville, California, she wore a bunny suit and held a heart-shaped sign reading “Love not War”. On September 28, she held a banner reading “U.S. Drone Kills Kabul Family. Dead: 7 Children, 3 Adults” outside of Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada. After the Creech arrest, she was held for more than 24 hours at the Clark County detention center in downtown Las Vegas. 

Read more here.

Digging under the fence at Volkel air base      

On October 20, about 25 nuclear abolitionists from the Netherlands, U.S., Germany and Austria gathered at the Volkel airbase in the Netherlands. In violation of international and Dutch law and as part of a “sharing agreement,” the U.S. Air Force maintains 15-20 B61 nuclear bombs there. With pink shovels, the activists began to dig their way under the fence in order to enter the base, surprised that nearby police didn’t intervene. Once they had a sizable tunnel dug, eight of the group crawled under the fence, and climbed up on the other side. They were then met by soldiers and more police and soon arrested. All were released five hours later with a warning that criminal charges are pending.

Read Brian Terrell’s article about the action here.

Two arrests during Raytheon blockade      

Early on the morning of August 12, members of the FANG Collective and RAM INC (Resist and Abolish the Military Industrial Complex) blocked the Raytheon Missiles and Defense factory in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Right at the gatehouse, they parked two old cars perpendicular to the four entry and exit lanes, and two people locked themselves onto the vehicles. The messages “Reject Raytheon” and “No More Civilian Deaths” were painted on both cars, and banners declared “Raytheon Profits From Genocide” and “Raytheon Missiles Kill Civilians”. Traffic was blocked for several hours until police brought in tools to remove the two blockaders. Both were arrested, taken to jail and released later that day. 

Read more here.

Nagasaki Day action at Bangor sub base

Thirty-one people were present on August 9, the 76th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, at a demonstration against Trident nuclear weapons at the Bangor submarine base in Silverdale, Washington. The demonstration, organized by the Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action, was at the Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor Main Gate during morning rush hour traffic. At around 7:15 a.m., after peacekeepers entered the roadway and safely stopped traffic, eight demonstrators set themselves and their banners on the roadway blocking entry into the Main Gate. After a short time, the activists were escorted from the roadway, given a citation and released.
   
Read more here.

“Prison as an unavoidable and useful part of resistance” 

From a resistance reflection by Stellan Vinthagen: 

It is simple: If you resist, you take a risk. As a logical consequence, prison must be part of our movement strategies and preparation as individuals.

You can read the entire article here.