[Nuclear Resister April bullietin (Fwd)

[아름드리 나무]

(Fwd by Felice Cohen Joppa)

April 2014

IN THIS E-BULLETIN

FOUR ARRESTED BLOCKING CEMENT TRUCK TO JEJU ISLAND NAVAL BASE CONSTRUCTION SITE

NATO 3 SENTENCED TO 5 – 8 YEARS IN PRISON

GOOD FRIDAY ACTIONS AT NUCLEAR AND DRONE-RELATED SITES THROUGHOUT THE U.S.

TWO VETERANS FOR PEACE ACTIONS AT BEALE AIR FORCE BASE BOOKEND APRIL

WOMAN ARRESTED DURING DRONE PROTEST AT WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE

NINE ANTI-DRONE ACTIVISTS ARRESTED AT CREECH AIR FORCE BASE

TEN YEARS AFTER RELEASE FROM PRISON, ISRAELI NUCLEAR WHISTLEBLOWER MORDECHAI VANUNU STILL NOT FREE

BUY A SUB! HELP SUPPORT PEACE PRISONERS

Four arrested blocking cement truck to Jeju Island naval base construction site

On April 7, 4 people were arrested in Gangjeong during the daily protests of the construction of a naval base on Jeju Island, South Korea. The police were very aggressive that day. They blocked the daily human chain and dancing which take place in the road leading into the base construction site, even when there were no cars needing to pass. This made the demonstrators angry and frustrated, and they demanded an apology from the police. When they did not receive an apology, Father Kim Sung-Hwan began blocking a cement truck. Father Mun, two Sisters and an activist soon joined him. After Father Kim was arrested, the others continued to block the trucks. Later police also arrested Father Mun, Lee Jong-Hwa and Sister Rosalina. The two priests were held in jail for several days before finally being released.

Read more here.

NATO 3 sentenced to 5 – 8 years in prison

On April 25 in the Cook County Criminal Courthouse, the NATO 3 were sentenced to between 5 and 8 years in prison. The prosecutors had argued that they should receive 14 years and serve their sentences consecutively, whereas the defense attorneys had obviously argued that they should receive light sentences, if not simply being sentenced to time served. Brian Jacob Church was sentenced to 5 years, Brent Betterly to 6 years, and Jared Chase to 8 years. They will all serve this time at 50% of the sentenced time (e.g., 6 year sentence equals 3 years served) and will receive credit for the two years they have served pending trial. Upon release, they will each have two years of supervised release as well.

Read more here.

Good Friday actions at nuclear and drone-related sites throughout the U.S.

LOCKHEED MARTIN, CALIFORNIA

About 50 people gathered at Lockheed Martin in Sunnyvale, California to reflect and pray about the consequences of war and empire to the earth and all life on the earth. After the Stations of the Cross, three people walked up to the Lockheed Martin gates. When stopped by police, they knelt down in prayer. Mary Jane Parrine, Ed Emhke and Fr. Steve Kelly, SJ were cuffed and held by the Sunnyvale police. Parrine was released, after being given a citation for trespass. Emhke and Kelly did not sign for release and were held in jail until Tuesday.

Lockheed Martin makes, among other things, missiles that carry Trident nuclear warheads, and hellfire missiles that are used by drones.

Read more here.

LOCKHEED MARTIN, PENNSYLVANIA

About 25 people gathered in front of Lockheed Martin in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania in a Good Friday peace observance and protest, particularly of the U.S.’s #1 war profiteer’s ever growing role in drone war technology and spying.

Following the Stations of the Cross, nine people were arrested after crossing onto Lockheed Martin in an appeal of nonviolent resistance. They were cited for disorderly conduct and released.

Read more here.

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE

On April 18, eleven anti-drone demonstrators were arrested at Beale Air Force Base in California following a Good Friday prayer service. Organizers said that they gathered at Beale, “in the shadow of killer drones, modern day equivalents of the cross, to pray, to act, and to build a community of peace.”

Read more here.

NEVADA NATIONAL SECURITY SITE/NUCLEAR TEST SITE

On Good Friday, April 18, members of the 2014 Sacred Peace Walk took part in a ritual commemorating war victims and nuclear victims at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). Afterwards, River Victor and Ming (Nevada Desert Experience Council members) were married by Western Shoshone Chief Johnnie Bobb. They then joined 18 others in crossing the line onto the U.S. nuclear test site. All 20 activists were processed and released.

Read more here.

LIVERMORE LABORATORY

More than 100 people gathered for an annual Good Friday service at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in California. Forty of the anti-nuclear activists were arrested at the west gate, which was closed for two hours. They were cited for obstructing a public roadway and released.

Read more here.

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE

During Holy Week in Hampton Roads, Virginia, some 40 people walked part or all of a 53 mile Stations of the Cross, visiting 12 military bases, an Army recruiting center, and Lockheed Martin, as the 14 stations. At each military installation walkers remembered the crucifixion of Jesus, the crucifixion of humanity in war, and the Christian call to disarmament, nonviolence and peacemaking.

The pilgrimage ended on Good Friday at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, part of the drone warfare network. Six people were arrested attempting to deliver a letter to the base commander addressing the illegality of drone warfare, and to block the gate going into the base.

Read more here.

Two Veterans for Peace actions at Beale Air Force Base bookend April

Veterans for Peace members Elliott Adams and Richard Gilchrist were arrested during a nonviolent anti-drone action at Beale Air Force Base on Tuesday, April 1. The two men walked across the line onto base property and were detained for an hour. Beale is the home of the Global Hawk Drone, a surveillance drone that assists with the targeting of Predator and Reaper armed drones.

Read more here.

Six military veterans were among 13 people arrested at Beale Air Force Base in Marysville, California early in the morning of April 29. They were attempting to deliver an indictment charging President Obama, the Beale base commander, drone pilots and others with “crimes against peace and crimes against humanity.”

Read more here.

Woman arrested during drone protest at Whiteman Air Force Base

Tamara Severns was arrested unexpectedly during an April 6 protest of drone warfare at Whiteman Air Force Base, near Knob Noster, Missouri. She was walking toward the Visitors’ Center to use the bathroom. She and other resisters had used those facilities with no problem during about five earlier protests. On April 6, Tamara and several others had arrived at the base entry after authorities had warned the resisters not to step across the white line on the entry road. Unaware that “the rules” had changed, Tamara crossed the line to go toward the Visitors’ Center, was taken into custody with no warning, and was handcuffed, searched, and detained on the base about an hour.

Read more here.

Nine anti-drone activists arrested at Creech Air Force Base

On the morning of April 16, 2014, nine anti-war activists were arrested at Creech Air Force Base when attempting to serve a War Crimes Indictment to Creech AFB Commander Col. Jim Cluff. The nine were part of the Nevada Desert Experience’s 2014 Sacred Peace Walk.

The activists stated that the illegality of the CIA “secretive cluster of units within the wing called the 732nd Operations Group” could no longer be denied or covered up. Hundreds of children have been murdered along with thousands of innocent men and women. The CIA is using Creech Air Force pilots to carry out drone strikes in Pakistan.

See more here.

Ten years after release from prison, Israeli nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu still not free

Ten years ago, on April 21, 2004, several hundred of us from around the world waited with great anticipation outside the gates of Israel’s Ashkelon Prison, holding up signs saying “Thank you, Mordechai Vanunu: Peace Hero, Nuclear Whistle-blower”. After many years of campaigning for his freedom, the day had finally arrived: Mordechai Vanunu would walk out of the prison where he had spent each day of his 18 year sentence (12 of those years in solitary confinement) for blowing the whistle on Israel’s then secret nuclear arsenal. We were there to welcome him to freedom.

Our excitement had been somewhat dimmed a couple of days earlier, when Israel announced a list of oppressive and unjust restrictions on the soon-to-be-released whistle-blower. These restrictions continue to this day, having been renewed each April: Mordechai Vanunu remains under restrictions which require him to report and gain approval for any change in residence, to avoid diplomatic missions, to not speak to foreign nationals and which prevent him from leaving Israel, a thing Mordechai has wished to do ever since his release from prison.

Read the remainder of the letter, with 52 signers from 7 countries, here.

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