News Released: Saturday, 19 Sept. 2015
News Released: Sunday, 20 Sept. 2015
News Released: Monday, 21 Sept. 2015

NEWS RELEASE 19 September 2015 Contact Brian Terrell (773) 853-1886 Marcus Pegasus: (505) 379-6942 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Concert For Peace in Vegas Plus Prayer-Actions At Nuclear and Drone War Sites This weekend Nevada Desert Experience (NDE) is sponsoring "Justice for our Desert," several events held in solidarity with hundreds of demonstrations occurring in every state in the country sponsored by "Campaign Nonviolence" during the week of September 20-27--the span from International Peace Day through International Nuclear Weapons Elimination Day. NDE's events start on Saturday with nonviolence training at NDE's headquarters (1420 Bartlett in North Las Vegas), and a concert for peace and justice (in Las Vegas) featuring San Francisco's Alzara & Brother Spellbinder at Reclaimed Art Supplies (1114 South Casino Center). Sunday's activities include and nonviolent prayer-actions at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) and a Western Shoshone prayer at Yucca Mountain led by Chief Johnnie Bobb of the Western Shoshone National Council. Monday's closing will be at Creech Air Force Base, as a prayer service for ending war, poverty, and climate change as part of "Campaign Nonviolence" demonstrations across the nation. Again, NDE will host events here: Las Vegas, Nevada- September 19th at 6:00 PM. Mercury, Nevada- September 20th at 10:00 AM BLM Territory, Nevada- September 20th at 1:00 PM Indian Springs, Nevada- September 21st at 6:00 AM SATURDAY: Following the nonviolence training in North Las Vegas, Alzara & Brother Spellbinder will play their well-crafted songs that might be defined as cabaret-folk rock with a dreamy, old-world ache and a modern melodic edge. The public is invited and a freewill donation will be accepted. The concert at Reclaimed Art Supplies will begin at 6:00 PM. The Prayer for Peace and Nonviolent Direct Action at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) is to be held the next morning, Sunday, September 20, 10 AM at both Peace Camp (south of Hwy 95) and the Mercury, Nevada entrance to the NNSS. Participants make a procession to the gates of the NNSS, formerly known as Nevada Test Site. This site has experienced more atomic explosions than any place on earth. Activists will attempt to enter the site with the permission of its legal owners, the Western Shoshone Nation but expect to be taken into custody by Wackenhut security and Nye County Sheriffs. Later in the day, there will be a prayer service on public land near Yucca Mountain, site of proposed high level nuclear waste storage. MONDAY: at 6:00AM ctivists will protest the violent use of drones remotely controlled from Creech Air Force Base (Indian Springs, NV) over a growing list of counties. A report on Yemen issued by the UN's Office of the High Commissioner For Human Rights (OHCHR) on September 15 suggests that the US Reaper drone (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) program, headquartered at Creech, may have killed more civilians in that country than al Qaeda in the last year. Similar protests and direct actions for peace and justice in recent years have led to scores of arrests at Creech and other drone bases. During Campaign Nonviolence Week, people from all walks of life will take to the streets from Hawaii to Maine to protest ongoing U.S. warfare, extreme poverty, the devastation of the environment, and many other forms of violence, from the unjust detention of immigrants to police brutality to the continuing threat of nuclear weapons. Through Campaign Nonviolence, historically separate movements are joining forces to tackle these many forms of violence and to build a more just, peaceful and sustainable world. Campaign Nonviolence is a grassroots movement to mainstream active nonviolence using the vision of Martin Luther King, Jr. that calls us to become people of nonviolence and to resolve personal and global conflicts nonviolently. Nevada Desert Experience was launched at the Lenten Desert Experience in 1982, with vigils throughout Lent at the NNSS. Campaign Nonviolence was launched September 2014 with over 230 nonviolent actions in every state in the nation. FOR INFORMATION ON THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN, CONTACT RYAN HALL AT info@paceebene.org or 510-268-8765. WEBSITE: www.campaignnonviolence.org. FOR INFORMATION ON NEVADA DESERT EXPERIENCE AND JUSTICE FOR OUR DESERT, CONTACT BRIAN TERRELL AT info@nevadadesertexperience.org or 773-853-1886.

NEWS RELEASE 20 September 2015 Contact Brian Terrell (773) 853-1886 Marcus Pegasus: (505) 379-6942 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Native American-Led Prayer Vigil Held at Proposed Nuclear Dump Site On Sunday September 20th, participants in a Nevada Desert Experience held a vigil at Yucca Mountain to pray for an end to the proposed plans to house a commercial high level nuclear waste repository at the site. The vigil was led by Chief Johnnie Bobb of the Western Shoshone National Council, who claims that Yucca Mountain belongs to the Western Shoshone according to the Treaty of Ruby Valley of 1863. Chief Johnnie Bobb said "This mountain is sacred to our native people 'cause ... Our young ones, they do that, and and pray to the medicine and pray for the people." Chief Johnnie continued, "Sing and dance. Learn some songs. Pay attention to our elders!" The prayer-activists received permits from the Western Shoshone National Council prior to entering the western side of the disputed land. The prayer vigil at Yucca Mountain is part of Nevada Desert Experience’s three-day “Justice for our Desert” event, which has also included nonviolent direct action at the Nevada National Security Site in which seven people were arrested by Nye County Sheriffs at the end of the dialog with Chief Johnnie and Wackenhut Security employees. The Justice For Our Desert event concludes after a 6:00 AM prayer-action at Creech Air Force Base TOMORROW where more arrests are expected, under the authority of Las Vegas Metro. The prayer-action is in response to unlawful assassinations conducted by Creech personnel via armed-drone flights in several countries. A recent report by the UN's Office of the High Commissioner For Human Rights (OHCHR) on September 15 suggests that the US Reaper drone (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) program, headquartered at Creech, may have killed more civilians than al Qaeda operatives in that country in the last year. Similar protests and direct actions for peace and justice in recent years have led to dozens of arrests at Creech and other drone bases. ###

NEWS RELEASE 21 September 2015 Contact Brian Terrell (773) 853-1886 Marcus Pegasus: (505) 379-6942 Creech AFB Breaks International Law Three Arrested Trying to Stop Creech Crimes Three prayerful civilians were arrested at Creech Air Force Base at 7:05 AM while trying to enforce the International Day of Peace. One was charged with the alleged crime of "tresspassing on government land" and two were charged with the alleged crime of "pedestrian in roadway". All were part of a larger demonstration of a dozen people holding vigil at Creech on this international holiday. All were released on-site with promises to appear later this fall on different court dates. Kofi Anan of the UN says of the September International Day of Peace, the purpose of this single day each year is to "give relief workers a safe interlude for the provision of vital services... to allow all those engaged in conflict to reconsider the wisdom of further violence." Therefore, NDE chose to have this year's autumn prayer-actions for justice and peace in Southern Nevada coinciding with September 21st. Today's arrests conclude the weekend of celebration of Justice For Our Desert Not only does Creech fail to cease fire on this International Day of Peace, but, "the armed drone practice is to 'double-tap', that is, to send a second missile, targeting first responders and families coming to the aid of the wounded. This is a particularly heinous practice," says Brian Terrell of Nevada Desert Experience (NDE). This past weekend NDE sponsored "Justice for our Desert," several prayer-activities held in solidarity with hundreds of demonstrations occurring in every state in the country sponsored by "Campaign Nonviolence" during the week of September 20-27--the span from International Peace Day through International Nuclear Weapons Elimination Day. ###