Update On 10 Citizens Arrested For Protesting Cassini Project http://www.igc.org/igc/econet/hl/97112026248/hl2.html
Originally posted in IGC member conference: ef.general Date: November 19, 1997 Posted by: nfnena@sover.net
/* Written 9:52 AM Nov 19, 1997 by nfnena@sover.net in ef.general */ /* ---------- "VT Cassini/Jeffords 10 Arraigned" ---------- */
UPDATE ON THE CASSINI 10:
TEN CITIZENS WHO WERE ARRESTED FOR PROTESTING CASSINI PROJECT ON OCT. 7th IN BURLINGTON WERE ARRAIGNED ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18th
by Jacob Leach
Burlington, VT, November 18--The eleven protesters who were arrested on October 7th after occupying the office of Senator James Jeffords (R-VT) attended their arraignment this morning at the Edward Costello District Courthouse on Cherry Street. Anne Petermann, Resource Center Coordinator for the Native Forest Network, had been issued a citation for vandalism (allegedly using sidewalk chalk on the outside wall of Senator Jeffords' office) while she was standing outside the police station to provide jail support for the arrestees. When Anne arrived in court this morning, she found out that the unfair charges against her had never been filed. The remaining ten defendants were all charged with unlawful trespass. If found guilty, eight of the defendents could be fined by the court and the other two (who had locked themselves to a desk in Senator Jeffords office) may be placed on probation and possibly face jail time. The ten defendents have together decided to use the necessity defense in their case. They feel that this defense should be used because of the imminent danger that the Cassini Project poses to all of us and to the health of the Earth. Civil disobedience was used as a strategy because the protesters felt it was necessary to finally bring this potential catastrophe to the attention of a greater portion of the public. Soon after the defendents entered the courthouse (around 8:30) this morning, people began to gather outside the building to show their support for the anti-Cassini protesters and to bring attention to what was going on inside. Supporters also took seats in the courtroom during the arraignment. There were close to twenty supporters overall who showed up at the courthouse this morning. The Cassini 10 thanks them all for their show of solidarity and also thanks folk singer Jim Page for playing his guitar to keep the energy level high out in the cold. NASA's nuclear-powered Cassini space probe, loaded with 72.3 pounds of plutonium-238--the most carcinogenic substance known--was launched from Cape Canaveral on October 15th. Although the probe did not malfunction during its launch, there is still the possibility of an explosion when Cassini reenters the Earth's atmosphere in the year 1999 on it's route toward Saturn. NASA is planning to launch more than a dozen other plutonium-powered space probes in the future as part of the nuclear space program that they and the Pentagon are carrying out. This presents all of us with the potential for any number of failures that could lead to the destruction of most life on Earth. NASA has stated in its Final Environmental Impact Statement for Cassini that if "...a [Cassini] inadvertant reentry occurred, approximately
5 billion of the estimated 7 to 8 billion world population at the time of the swingby [sic] could receive 99% or more of the radiation exposure." This does not even bring up the danger it poses to any other animal or plant species on the planet. The next court date for the Cassini 10 will be Wednesday December 17 at 10:00 am. The hearing will be held once again at the Edward J. Costello Courthouse, at 32 Cherry Street. All concerned citizens are urged to attend. For more information, contact Jacob Leach at (802)863-0571.
Information via:
NATIVE FOREST NETWORK Eastern North America Resource Center POB 57 Burlington, VT 05402 USA (802)863-0571 (802)863-2532 Fax PLEASE MAKE A NOTE OF OUR NEW Email: nfnena@sover.net http://www.nativeforest.org
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CASSINI LINKS: http://www.vom.com/rc/cassini.htm http://www.animatedsoftware.com/cassini/index.htm http://www.lovearth.org http://www.rain.org/~openmind/cassini.htm http://www.afn.org/~fcpj/space/cassini/ http://www.panix.com/~levner/nygreens/issues/nukes/cassini/ http://www.interactivism.com/act2/cassini/intro.shtml
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Peace!
Rob, Sector Air Raid Warden at Rob's Place http://www.vom.com/rc/home.htm A SITE DEDICATED TO SPIRIT, TRUTH, PEACE, JUSTICE, AND FREEDOM /RENEGADE/ newsletter: http://fornits.com/renegade/ Robert Cherwink <rc@vom.com> Usenet: alt.thebird
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