19 people arrested marking the 60th
Anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombing at the Trident submarine base at Bangor, WA
Peace activists joined at confirmed site
of weapons of mass destruction to declare Hiroshima and Nagasaki Never Again
70 people walked at early dawn to the demonstration against Trident
nuclear weapons at the Bangor base.
19 demonstrators blocked the highway entrance into the base with a long
banner that stated, “We Can All Live Without Trident.”
At 5 AM on Monday, demonstrators walked
from the Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action to the entrance of Naval
Submarine Base Bangor. 19 demonstrators then took the banner onto the
highway. Incoming traffic was blocked for approximately 40 minutes
during peak traffic when Navy personnel and support personnel were arriving for
work at the base.
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 1,760 nuclear warheads. 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 (about 30 times the
explosive force as the Hiroshima
bomb.) Four older Trident submarines from the Bangor fleet are being refitted for the
deployment of Tomahawk cruise missiles. Each of the older submarines will
be able to launch 154 cruise missiles within a six minute period.
Those arrested by Kitsap County Sheriffs: Moona Cancino, 26, of Portland; Joy Goldstein, 70, of Vashon;
Alice Zillah, 32, Bryce Brown, 31, Shannon Bushnell, 28, and Patricia Imani, 43, of Olympia; Roger Thorson, 60, of Carnation; Dan
Goldstein, 54, and Liz Rivera Goldstein, 47 of Port Townsend; Fr. Bill Bichsel, 77, of Tacoma; Marion Ward, 66, and Genny Kortes, 65, of Vancouver;
and Shirley Morrison, 83, Jean Sundborg, 65, Rev.
Anne Hall, 60, David Hall, 59, Mary Hanson, 59, Dorli
Rainey, 78, and Glen Milner, 54, of Seattle.
This year, demonstrators were joined
with members of the Nipponzan Myohoji
Buddhist temple on Bainbridge Island, who with Ground Zero Center for
Nonviolent Action members and others, completed a 300 mile walk for peace,
starting at Hanford on July 16 and ending at the Ground Zero Center for
Nonviolent Action on August 6, 2005.
Please see attached Fact Sheet
Fact Sheet
Nonviolent Resistance at Trident Submarine
Base Marked 60th Anniversary of Hiroshima/Nagasaki Atomic Bombing--August 8,
2005
The 19 arrested by Kitsap County Sheriffs
were booked and later released in Port Orchard. Kitsap
County prosecutors have been unable to
get convictions against nonviolent activists arrested at Bangor the last three times they have
tried. Juries and judges have found that people arrested at Bangor protests have the legal right to redress
grievances under International and US law with nonviolent direct
action.
The Trident submarines at Bangor are most likely to be used first in
any nuclear attack: either as an isolated “tactical” assault on a specific
site, bunker, or weapons location; or in a larger “strategic” nuclear
attack. The Bangor-based submarines can launch their weapons in
secrecy and operate near Middle East and Asian
targets.
The submarine base and submarines at
Bangor have
been going through a conversion to the Trident D-5 missile since the late
1990’s. The new D-5 missile weighs 130,000 lbs. compared to the older
C-4, at 73,000 lbs. The new missile is more accurate and has longer range.
Naval Submarine Base Bangor currently has seven D-5 missile
submarines. In
the fall of 2005, two more D-5 submarines will be arriving from Kings Bay,
Georgia, bringing the total at Bangor
to nine D-5 submarines and leaving just five D-5 submarines on the East Coast.
In addition, four older Trident
submarines are being refitted to fire Tomahawk cruise missiles. Two
will be at Bangor.
These SSGN submarines can fire all of the cruise missiles on one submarine, 154
cruise missiles, in six minutes. The first SSGN, the USS Ohio, is
scheduled to enter Navy service in November 2005. The two crews will then
go through about 1 ˝ years of training.
In July, 2005 Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Navy
announced a $9.2 million contract to develop a new submarine-launched
intermediate-range ballistic missile (SLIRBM). The SLIRBM will be capable of
delivering a 1,000 lb. payload 1,200 miles within 15 minutes of launch. A
Tomahawk missile takes about 4 hours to cover the same distance.
The Bangor
submarine base, this fall, will also be receiving the USS Jimmy Carter
surveillance submarine. This has been described as the most
heavily-armed submarine ever built. This one-of-a-kind submarine cost
$3.2 billion. Many activities are top secret.
Either type of Trident submarine at Bangor, whether to launch
D-5 nuclear missiles, cruise missiles or the planned intermediate range
ballistic missile, has unbelievable destructive force.
The next planned nonviolent direct action
at Bangor will
be in commemoration of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in January
2006.
From Bremerton Ferry: Ferry unloads onto Washington Ave. (right curve at end of ferry exit). Remain on Washington--get into the left lane as you approach the Manette Bridge turn--stay on Washington--shortly after passing the Manette Bridge, Washington Ave. curves left and becomes 11th St. Remain on 11th to the end, which is Kitsap Way. Right (only way you can turn) on Kitsap Way to Highway 3 entrance north (to the right). Highway 3 to Kitsap Mall exit or Silverdale--at end of exit ramp turn left--this is Clear Creek Rd. Clear Creek Rd. to Ground Zero (16159 Clear Creek Rd. NW).
From Bainbridge Ferry: Highway 305 to Poulsbo (at 5th Stop light--Bond Rd.). Left on Bond Rd--past Medical Buildings to end--a stop light. Right at light--straight through and up the hill (Finn Hill Rd) over the overpass of Highway 3 to first road to left (Rude Rd). Left on Rude Rd (it only goes to the left) to the end, which is Clear Creek Rd. Left on Clear Creek Rd. to Ground Zero (16159 Clear Creek Rd NW).
From Kingston Ferry: West on Highway 104 and go straight onto Bond Rd. to Poulsbo; go straight through intersection at Highway 305 to Poulsbo--past Medical Buildings to end--a stop light. Right at light--straight through and up the hill (Finn Hill Rd) over the overpass of Highway 3 to first road to left (Rude Rd). Left on Rude Rd (it only goes to the left) to the end, which is Clear Creek Rd. Left on Clear Creek Rd. to Ground Zero (16159 Clear Creek Rd NW).
From Bremerton Ferry: As above only stay on Highway 3 to the Keyport/Bangor exit (just beyond the Kitsap Mall and Trigger exits). Stay left to Subase Bangor Main Gate and ID office (right goes to Keyport). Parking is available to the right of the guard station.
From Bainbridge Ferry: Highway 305 from the ferry entrance onto Highway 3 (under overpass). Exit Keyport/Subase Bangor--first exit to the right. This exit leads directly to the Subase Bangor Main Gate and ID office. Parking is available to the right of the guard station.
From Kingston Ferry: West on Highway 104 and go straight onto Bond Rd to Highway 305. Right onto Highway 3 (under overpass). Exit Keyport/Subase Bangor--first exit to the right. This exit leads directly to the Subase Bangor Main Gate and ID office. Parking is available to the right of the guard station.
