Message posted by Bucket on March 01, 2005 at 5:59:52 PST:
(15 Activists and 2 Press Men Could Face Jail for Star Wars Action Los Angeles, California - Fifteen Greenpeace activists and two journalists have been hit with extremely serious charges after the Star Wars missile test was delayed on Saturday evening. The group faces jail terms of more than ten years if found guilty of conspiring to violate a safety zone and violating an order.1 The activists from all over the world appeared at the federal Court in Los Angeles late into the evening last night. The independent photographer and videographer were charged along side them. "Our activists acted with honor and integrity in a courageous, selfless and non-violent protest against a dangerous program," said Gerd Leipold, Executive Director of Greenpeace International. "Theyıre from across the world and reflect a growing global opposition to Star Wars. The photographer and videographer were present simply to do their jobs as independent witnesses. These incredibly harsh charges against a totally peaceful act of opposition are a clear indication of President Bush's single-minded and arrogant insistence on deploying a Star Wars missile system, and his need to silence all dissent to do it," Leipold added. Those charged come from the U.S, UK, Germany, India, Sweden, Australia, Spain and Canada. The fifteen members of the boat crews and two members of the press were below the flight path of the missile. Swimmers on boogie boards went ashore at the base, while three boats and a press boat, chased by the Coast Guard and a helicopter entered the exclusion zone. Greenpeace divers went down underwater in the zone also. The test was delayed for forty minutes. Despite repeated warnings that activists where in the danger zone, along with at least one Coast Guard vessel, the base commander of Vandenberg ordered that the missile be fired. "Everyone involved in this action has done an incredibly brave thing. They put themselves in the firing line of the launch to try to stop not just this test, but the whole Star Wars program," said Greenpeace U.S. Executive Director John Passacantando. "This is not about the future of nuclear This gives you an idea of the sort of lengths and risks these activists will go to. These people don't have much of a concern for any penalties they will recieve. Now it was reported on 60 Minutes that people who had worked at area 51 were illegally burning toxic wastes and have died from their exposure to it. They tried to sue the government but Bill Clinton and others gave exemptions of the base to all enviromental laws. Now why don't the greenies storm onto the base? They would have a good excuse to.
weapons technology, it is about the future of our planet and the people on it. We want to see a nuclear free future. This legal process should not be about prosecuting a peaceful protest, it should be about putting George Bush and his Star Wars program on trial," he added.)http://www.yorkshirecnd.org.uk/yspace/articles/bmd/harshcharges.htm
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