On Wednesday evening, May 8, the jury ended deliberation with a guilty verdict on both charges, Vandalism and Sabotage. A bond hearing is scheduled for Thursday morning. They now face up to 20 years in prison. A literal death sentence. This LINK is to the story and video prior to the verdict. This LINK is to day three testimony, just prior to the conviction. IT IS POWERFUL TESTIMONY!

Friday, May 10, UPDATE: Judge Thapar rules: Convicted Y-12 protesters must stay in jail until sentencing on September 23. See story HERE.

The superseding indictment from last December is found HERE.

The defense filed a Rule 29 motion to dismiss the sabotage charge (sec. 2155) after the government rested its case, but the judge deferred a ruling on that until after the jury could consider the evidence presented. He could overrule the jury, but this seems doubtful. Discussion in court centered on whether the intent of the defendants could be inferred from their actions, and the jury bought the government’s contention that their actions were INTENDED to “injure, interfere with, and obstruct the national defense of the United States”. This, despite no testimony connecting the damage done to impairment of U.S. defenses. Government maintained that ANY damage to Y-12 facilities also constitutes such sabotage because the defendants admit they desire nuclear disarmament. They cut four fences on the way in, put graffiti in blood and paint upon and hammered a few chips out of the concrete wall of the HEUMF at Y-12.

The court had previously granted a motion in limine that forbid the defense from any mention of U.S. legal obligations to pursue disarmament under the NPT, Article VI of the Constitution, as well as any testimony about international humanitarian law or the laws of war related to use of weapons of mass and indiscriminate destruction. So much for defendants getting to tell “the truth, the whole truth…” to the jury. The court forbids such truth in these cases.

Posted: May 10th, 2013 under News.
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Here is a LINK to a short 3 minute interview on CNN with Greg Bortge-Obed, 57, Sr. Megan Rice, 83, and Mike Wali, 63, the three Plowshares activists who broke into the Y-12 nuclear weapons complex and now face what amounts to a life sentence in federal prison for their act of peacemaking. Their trial began on May 6, before Federal District Judge Amul Thapar in Knoxville, Tennessee. They face two felony charges for their July 28, 2012 disarmament action at the Y-12 nuclear weapons complex, including a charge under the Sabotage Act. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison.

Posted: May 8th, 2013 under News.
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This LINK is to an excellent article by Kathy Kelly, from Voices for Creative Nonviolence. Kathy is a longtime peace activist–resister–peacemaker, who has spent much time in both Iraq and Afghanistan among many other “hot spots.” Kathy was in Baghdad ten years ago when the U.S. bombed (Shock & Awe) and invaded Iraq. This piece is her reflection on U.S. policy in Iraq dating back to 1996, during the sanction years, to the present.

Posted: March 23rd, 2013 under News.
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This LINK is to very powerful letter written by Tomas Young, a dying Iraq veteran. In it he expresses his deepest emotions to Bush and Chaney, on this tenth anniversary of the bombing and invasion of Iraq. Also, an article on Tomas’ background by Chris Hedges. Again, MUST READS!

Posted: March 19th, 2013 under News.
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Here is a LINK to yet another great Chris Hedges piece on what is at stake with the Hedges v. Obama lawsuit over Section 1021(b)(2) of the NDAA – National Defense Authorization Act, signed into law by President Obama. It is under appeal in the Second Circuit Court, which will render its decision sometime this spring. However, regardless of how this court decides, the suit ultimately will end in the U.S. Supreme Court for a final decision. If the Supreme Court Justices side with the government, we will see the absolute end of the democratic state in this nation. We will live under a corporate fascist state with military rule. This is yet another MUST READ!

Posted: March 18th, 2013 under News.
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L.A. Catholic Workers Mike Wisniewski and Nicole Linsmeier along with Guadalupe Catholic Workers Tensie, Dennis, Rozella and Thomas Apel, and Fr. Louie Vitale, OFM and Steve Kelly, SJ, traveled by train to Tacoma, Washington to attend the 2013 Pacific Life Community (PLC) Faith and Resistance retreat and nonviolent direct action at Kitsap-Bangor Naval Base, in Silverdale, Washington, home to the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the U.S. and possibly the world, as well as 8 of the Navy’s 14 nuclear-powered Trident (Ohio Class) submarines that carry the Trident II missile system, the most diabolical, deadliest, and destructive first strike weapon in the U.S. arsenal–indeed the world.  Each Trident submarine can carry 24 Trident II missiles; each missile has a payload of 4 – W88 (475 kiloton) or 8 – W76 (100 kiloton) warheads. By comparison, the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima was 64 kiloton, while the bomb dropped on Nagasaki was 23 kiloton.

The retreat theme was “A Nonviolent Future Without Nuclear Weapons?” and was held from March 1 to 4 at a retreat center on Raft Island in Gig Harbor/Puget Sound, ten miles from Tacoma and 20 miles from the Navy’s Bangor Trident submarine base.  Speakers at Saturdays forum held at the University of Puget Sound included: Jack Cohen-Joppa, Master of Ceremonies, who along with his wife Felice, have published The Nuclear Resister, a publication dedicated to supporting imprisoned anti-nuclear and anti-war activists, for 30 years.

Other presenters included Michael Honey, Professor of Labor and Ethnic Studies and American History at University of Washington, Tacoma. Honey’s rich, personal history includes southern civil rights and civil liberties organizing from 1970-1976. His most recent book is: Going Down the Jericho Road: The Memphis Strike, Martin Luther King’s Last Campaign. The evening’s two main speakers are with Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action in Poulsbo, Washington. Tom Rogers is a retired U.S. Navy Captain. A career submariner, he commanded a nuclear attack submarine during the Cold War and now is an anti-nuclear activist and speaker. Elizabeth Murray is an ex-CIA analyst and former Deputy National Intelligence Officer for the Near East at the National Intelligence Council, and served for 27 years with the agency. She currently is an anti-nuclear activist and speaker. Ground Zero Center, located adjacent to the Bangor ballistic missile submarine base, works for the abolition of nuclear weapons with a primary focus on resisting Trident.

Closing the evening was Father William “Bix” Bichsel, who lives and works at the Tacoma Catholic Worker and is a member of the Disarm Now Plowshares, a group of activists who entered the nuclear weapons storage bunker area of the Strategic Weapons Facility, Pacific, in November 2009, to make a plea for the U.S. government to meet its obligations to work with other nations toward global nuclear disarmament. He also received the 2012 Greater Tacoma Peace Prize. Bichsel recently returned from Europe where he attended the Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies and met with many anti-nuclear activists in an effort to work together in efforts to abolish nuclear weapons.

It was a wonderful and exciting weekend with powerful testimonies given by Saturday’s speakers and a memorial to Sr. Anne Montgomery, a longtime peace activist and anti-nuclear resister who participated in nine “Plowshares” actions since 1982, her last in 2009, who late last summer died and joined the great Cloud of Witnesses.  Anne spent many years in prison for her “Plowshares” actions.  She and her courage and steadfast witness will be missed. Photos of the weekend and nonviolent direct action, where 20 people, including Tensie Hernandez-Apel and Fr. Louie Vitale, OFM, were arrested, can be viewed HERE.

Posted: March 9th, 2013 under News.
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Here is the LINK to Pfc. Bradley Manning’s 35 page court statement read to the military court on February 28, 2013, in which he took full responsibility for disclosing to WikiLeaks all documents that reveal U.S. war crimes and crimes against humanity. After Bradley read his statement the prosecutor stated he would seek maximum sentencing on all counts, which would place 25 year-old Bradley in prison for life without the possibility of parole. This is a travesty. Bradley is a hero, not a terrorist nor a criminal. FREE BRADLEY MANNING NOW! Also, here is the leaked AUDIO of Bradley delivering his statement. And, here is Chris Hedges excellent March 4 article “WE ARE BRADLEY MANNING” written in response to Bradley’s case. A MUST READ.

Posted: March 6th, 2013 under News.
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On Thursday, February 21, L.A. Catholic Worker Theo Kayser appeared in Federal Court in Santa Barbara and pleaded guilty to the trespass charge for his October 22 witness at Vandenberg AFB whereby immediately he was sentenced to 10 days in federal custody. He will self surrender on Friday, February 22, at 3pm at the downtown Los Angeles Federal Building. It is not yet known where he will serve his time. Please keep Theo in thought and prayer during his time incarcerated. Thank you.

Feb. 22 UPDATE:  When Theo self surrendered it was learned that the Marshal’s office did not have Theo’s paperwork, therefore could not take him into custody. Theo was instructed to return on Monday at 11am. Here is the STATEMENT Theo read in court.

March 7 UPDATE:  Theo served his ten day sentence and was released on Wednesday, March 6, at 12:30 pm.

Posted: February 22nd, 2013 under News.
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L.A. Catholic Worker Theo Kayser finally received an arraignment notice for his backcountry action on October 22, 2012. He will appear at 1pm on Thursday, February 21, in Santa Barbara Federal Bankruptcy Court, 1415 State St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. If you can attend for support, it would be greatly appreciated. See the action Press Release and Statement HERE

Posted: January 30th, 2013 under News, Upcoming Events.
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L.A. Catholic Worker Rebecca Casas received a pleasant surprise when she appeared in court on Thursday. The trespass charge from the October 22 incident was dropped with no further appearances scheduled. YEAH!

Fr. Louie Vitale, OFM, on the other hand, had something unusual happen. He was arraigned on two trespass charges, one from the October 22 incident with Rebecca, and when he “crossed the line” on the night of the missile test on November 14, and was arrested, cited and released. The trespass charge from the November 14 witness was dismissed, while the trespass charge for the October 22 incident will be prosecuted for violating his “Ban and Bar” order (banned and barred from entering the base at any time without consent from the base commander). Fr. Louie entered a not guilty plea and will return to court on March 14. NOTE: Both Rebecca and Fr. Louie had “Ban and Bar” letters in effect when cited on October 22.

Posted: January 18th, 2013 under News.
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