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Elderly religious arrested in weapons protest

Published: November 04, 2009

Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor

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US priest Father Bill 'Bix' Bischel, 81, and Sister Anne Montgomery, 83 were hooded, handcuffed and held faced down on the ground for four hours before being arrested for a protest against nuclear weapons.

They were arrested along with three others at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, which they had entered in the early hours the morning on All Souls Day to highlight the "illegality and immorality" of the Trident weapons system, Ekklesia reports.

Susan Crane, 65, Lynne Greenwald, 60, and Steve Kelly, 60, were also arrested.

The group entered the base through the perimeter fence and then made their way to the Strategic Weapons Facility - Pacific (SWFPAC). They cut through the first chainlink fence surrounding SWFPAC and then cut the next double layered fence, which was both chain link and barbed wire, entering the grounds of SWFPAC, the report said.

As they walked they carried a banner with the words: "Disarm Now Plowshares : Trident: Illegal + Immoral".

When they were caught, they were thrown to the ground face down, handcuffed and hooded. They were then held there for 4 hours on the wet, cold ground. Still hooded, they were carried out through the holes in the fence that they had made, for questioning by Base security, FBI and NCIS.

They refused to give any information except their names, and were charged with trespass and destruction of government property.

The Trident submarine base at Bangor is home to the largest single stockpile of nuclear warheads in the US arsenal, holding more nuclear warheads than China, France, Israel, India, North Korea and Pakistan combined, the report adds.

FULL STORY

Eighty-one-year-old Catholic priest and nun abused after weapons protest (Ekklesia)

 

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Recent Comments

  1. Thank God for this remarkable leadership.

  2. I agree, Susan. I am reminded of protesters in Britain who broke in and smashed a plane that was going to be used to kill others in war. They were acquitted, as we know.



    Mike Yates

  3. They knew the consequences of their actions and appear to have paid dearly in the humiliation of their arrests. I guess the courts will be their final arbiter. They have lived true to the "age shall not weary them" philosophy.

  4. One is never too old to act justly.
    I'm sure those responsible for managing this place are embarrassed about their inadequte security!

  5. Perhaps commendable, but I doubt the actual ship has ever launched a missile in anger whereas not too far from where Bill and Anne live is a "factory" that has and does kill people every day, but somehow I'm super-confident Bill and Anne don't protest outside that abortion clinic.

Delicious

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