January 16, 2007

12 people arrested honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Trident submarine base at Bangor, WA

210 people were present at the demonstration commemorating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the gates of Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor on January 15th. 13 demonstrators were arrested at the highway entrance into the base.

At 2 PM on Sunday, demonstrators walked from the Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action to the entrance of Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor. 7 demonstrators then took a banner onto the highway which stated, “Abolish Nuclear Weapons.”

As the seven demonstrators were arrested by Kitsap County Sheriffs, five more demonstrators entered federal property at the base entrance. The five were arrested by Naval Base security.

Demonstrators also hung a large banner over the entrance to the Trident submarine base with a statement by Dr. King which stated, "When scientific power outruns spiritual power, we end up with guided missiles and misguided men."

The Trident submarine base at Bangor is located 20 miles west of Seattle. It is the last active nuclear weapons depot on the West Coast and is the place of deployment for approximately 1,360 nuclear warheads. Another 1,000 warheads are stored on the base in inactive reserve. The Trident base at Bangor has the largest stockpile of nuclear warheads in the United States.

The base has been recently rebuilt for the deployment of the larger and more accurate Trident D-5 missile system. Each of the 24 D-5 missiles on a Trident submarine is capable of carrying eight of the larger 455 kiloton W-88 warheads (each warhead is about 30 times the explosive force as the Hiroshima bomb.)

Those arrested by Kitsap County Sheriffs: George Rodkey, 53, of Tacoma; Lynne Greenwald, 57, of Bremerton; Rev. Anne Hall, 61, Martin Fleck, 48, Carolyn Dorisdotter, 68, Steven Gilbert, 55, and Glen Milner, 55, of Seattle.

Those arrested by Naval Base security: Larry Kerschner, 60, of Pe Ell; Tim Russell, 41, of Olympia; Fr. Bill Bichsel, S.J., 78; PLU student, 19; and Aaron Gerow, 23, of Tacoma.

The 7 arrested by Kitsap County Sheriffs were booked and later released in Port Orchard. Kitsap County Sheriffs stated a new charge, “attempted disorderly conduct”, could be used against demonstrators by Kitsap County prosecutors, with a maximum 90 days in jail and $1,000 fine.

The 5 arrested by Naval Base security were booked at the Trident submarine base and released. Some of these demonstrators may be tried in federal court.

Contact:
Anne Hall or David Hall (206) 545-3562    Karol Milner or Glen Milner (206) 365-7865

Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action event at Town Hall in Seattle on January 20, 2007

John Burroughs, International Law expert, will be speaking on Saturday, January 20 at 7 pm. His talk, “From Auschwitz to Trident: The Nuclear Weapons of Puget Sound, the Power of International Law, and Citizen Responsibility in Abolishing Nuclear Weapons,” will be a major public address at Town Hall. John Burroughs will also testify in defense of three Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action activists in Port Orchard on January 22, 2007.

New Trial begins January 22, 2007:

Three Ground Zero activists--Shirley Morrison of Seattle, Carol Ann Barrows of Bainbridge Island and Brian Watson of Bremerton--will be on trial on Monday January 22, 2007 in the District Court at the Kitsap County Courthouse at 614 Division Street in Port Orchard. The three are charged with two counts of Disorderly Conduct for being arrested in consecutive direct actions in May 2006 at the Mother’s Day action and in August 2006 at the Hiroshima/Nagasaki action. The three face a possible 180 days in jail and $2,000 in fines.

The Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action was founded in 1977. The center is on 3.8 acres adjoining the Trident submarine base at Bangor, Washington. The Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action offers the opportunity to explore the root of violence and injustice in our world and to experience the transforming power of love through nonviolent direct action. We resist all nuclear weapons, especially the Trident submarine system.

The next planned nonviolent direct action at Bangor will be in honor of Mother’s Day in May 2007.