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

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.

From November 27 through December 1, representatives from 90 of the signatory nations to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons met at the United Nations for the Second Meeting of States Parties to take next steps to implement the Treaty.

Kelly Lundeen of Nukewatch stated, “Nuclear weapons have been banned. The world has spoken. I’m here as a U.S. citizen to stand in solidarity.”

Martha Hennessy of the New York Catholic Worker said, “I can’t be silent or passive in the face of the nuclear saber rattling, Gazan genocide, and U.S. expansion of our nuclear arsenal, all in violation of our treaty law.”

“The 100 U.S. nuclear weapons now deployed in Europe (under ‘nuclear sharing’ policy) are destabilizing and they risk escalation or accidents. Withdrawing them would bring the Sharing countries into compliance with the Nonproliferation Treaty,” said John LaForge of Nukewatch, one of the demonstrators.

Photo by Felton Davis

Those arrested included:
Ruth Benn (New York)
Carmen Trotta (New York)
Martha Hennessy (New York)
Bernard Connaughton (New York)
Bill Ofenloch (New York)
Teresa Grady (New York)
Ellen Grady (New York)
Alice Sutter (New York)
Ed Hedemann (New York)
Trudy Silver (New York)
Pura Barako (New York)
Cathy Breen (New York)
Brian Terrell (Iowa)
Ellen Barfield (Maryland)
Kelly Lundeen (Wisconsin)
Steve Baggarly (Virginia)
Scott Shaeffer-Duffy (Massachusetts)
Beth Brockman (North Carolina)