From: Ralph Hutchison <orep@earthlink.net>
Wed, Jul 7, 2010 at 7:07 PM
OREPA UPDATE - Declaring
July 6, 2010
Published by
(865) 483-8202
orep@earthlink.net
The weekend was bookended by a lot of hugging— starting in front of
the registration table as old friends reunited, and ending outside the
jail as prisoners were released to await trial into the hot July
afternoon sun in
celebration of the power of resistance, culminating in the arrest of
thirty-six people in nonviolent protest against nuclear weapons
production at the Y12 Nuclear Weapons Complex in
There was music, there was talking, there were puppets and
Fourth-of-July burgers and watermelon, and on Monday morning, July 5,
there was a Declaration of
Nuclear Weapons Complex, after which thirteen people crossed the
property line and twenty-three more stretched a long banner across the
road to block the entrance to the bomb plant. They were
arrested—thirteen on federal trespass charges and twenty-three on
state charges for obstructing a roadway. The penalty for the federal
offense can be as much as $100,000 and a year in prison; for the state
charges, $50 and 30 days in jail.
The charges vary, but the depth of commitment and the passion for the
future was uniform—hundreds of peace cranes were tied on the barbed
wire fence expressing the deep desire for a world free of nuclear
weapons.
The Declaration of
and adapted by the affinity groups as they planned their action, said:
“Under principles of democracy we exercise the right of every citizen
of this republic and this planet to peacefully resist the nuclear
threat; attacking as it does every core concept of human rights. We
act to exercise our basic rights to life and freedom from violence and
we exercise our duty to protect children and future generations. We
act to ensure that our government fulfills its promise and
responsibilities to unequivocally pursue and achieve nuclear
disarmament in good faith. We call on this government to end the use
of our tax dollars to wage permanent war and demand clean up all
chemical and radioactive contamination.”
Those arrested on state charges were released without bail, with court
dates scheduled in early July. Three women who remained in jail will
be in court July 8.
The federal prisoners of conscience will have their initial appearance
before Judge Bruce Guyton in Knoville on Tuesday, July 6.
Crossing over the railroad gate and crawling through barbed wire, 13
resisters moved onto the Y12 Nuclear Weapons Complex: Carol Gilbert,
Ardeth Platte, Jackie Hudson, Bonnie Urfer, Bill Bichsel, Bradford
Lyttle, Michael Walli, David Corcoran, Jean Gump, Steve Baggarly,
Dennis DuVall, Mary Dennis Lentsch, Beth Rosdatter. In Federal court,
the government said the baker’s dozen are “exposed to a fine of not
more than $100,000 and a sentence of not more than 1 year in federal
prison and one year of supervised probation, plus a $100 special assessment.”
Arrested and charged with obstructing a roadway were: Beth Brockman,
Barbara Corcoron, Nancy Gowen, Janice Sevré-Duszynska, Susan Crane,
Elizabeth McAlister, Billie Hickey, Clare Grady, Alice Baker, Martha
Hennessee, Pepperwolf, Judith Hallock, Joan Noyes, Steve Jacobs, Ed
Bloomer, Stephen Clemens, John Schuchardt, Marcus Atkinson, Paul
Fesefelt, Frank Cordaro, Joe Gump,Tom Palumbo and Jon Blickenstaff. The
charge is a State Class C misdemeanor and carries a penalty of $50
fine, up to 30 days in jail, and court costs (around $240).
All of the arrestees were released on recognizance on July 5 except
Beth Brockman, Alice Baker, and Billie Hickey who, anticipating a
sentence of five days or more, elected to remain in
Jail. Their trial, along with Marcus Atkinson, is scheduled for July
8; the others arrested on state charges will be heard on July 12.
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled in federal court for the
alleged trespassers for July 14; lawyers say it will not happen
because an indictment will be handed down before that time.
Jim Gaber has posted photos on his flickr account:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimhaber/sets/72157624416599622/
-------------------------
Lee Sessions has compiled some press coverage sites:
http://michaelmoore.com/words/latest-news/y-12-protest-nets-dozens-arrests
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBK-nQFiR8U&feature=player_embedded
http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=126141&catid=2
http://www.wate.com/global/story.asp?s=12756343
http://www.volunteertv.com/news/headlines/97804689.html
http://www.waaytv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12756235&nav=menu635_1_6_2
http://americanidolizing.com/gossip/Plowshares-nuke-protest-nets-37-arrests-2925648.html
http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/More-than-30-protesters-arrested-at-Y-12-plant-565902.php
http://www.stmarksumc.com/node/730
http://nuclearpower.einnews.com/tennessee/
http://filmifi.com/gossip/Protesters-arrested-at-East-Tennessee-nuclear-weapons-plant-4897518.html
http://news.usti.net/home/news/cn/?/tw.nuclear/2/wed/br/Uus-nukeprotest.R-L9_Kl6.html
http://www.jcpress.net/News/article.php?ID=78540
http://paranuclear.com/tag/protest-nets
It was also on page 3 of
story that appeared in print was drawn from a number of longer blog
pieces Frank Munger wrote during the weekend; you can find them by
Googling "atomic underground."
Peace,
Ralph Hutchison
Oak Ridge Environmental Peace
(865) 483-8202
orep@earthlink.net
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