April 9 - April 14, 2006

Our annual pilgrimage from Las Vegas to the Nevada Test Site began on Sunday, April 9 in Las Vegas and concluded at the gates of the test site on April 14, Good Friday. During the walk, we honored and celebrated the many interfaith religious holidays taking place that week including Buddha’s birthday, Passover, Holy Week, Mohammed’s birthday and a full moon.

We walked in the footsteps of a long legacy of peace walkers and spiritual leaders to draw attention to the nuclear dangers that continue to threaten our sacred planet and the community of life. Our journey included community-building activities, camping, song, prayer, a peace and justice Seder dinner and the Nuclear Stations of the Cross.

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Hundreds of people have walked from Las Vegas, Nevada to the Nevada (Nuclear) Test Site for the cause of abolishing nuclear weapons.

(The Test Site is situated unlawfully on lands belonging to the Western Shoshone Nation. Since 1951 the U.S. has contaminated the desert and the earth 1000 feet below by exploding over 900 nuclear weapons tests which included over 1000 detonations of nuclear bombs.)

Every year the U.S. Department of Energy (D.o.E.) explodes a few multi-million dollar subcritical nuclear test bombs at the Site.

Each year more people join this spiritual pilgrimage from the city that is the epitome of unsustainability in the U.S. to the place of the greatest violence on earth. Come help us stop this suicidal nuclear violence! Come walk the ways of peace in the desert!

Read an article by attendee Barb Guy published in the Salt Lake City Tribune (80kb PDF)

Peace walkers pause on the way to the Test Site
photo courtesy of Marcus Page


Shoshone Elder Corbin Harney speaks outside the Test Site to the peace walkers.

The Nuclear Stations of the Cross are setup in a tunnel full of peace graffiti.

Fr. Paul Colbert processes with the peace cross for each of the fifteen Nuclear Stations of the Cross.

Attendees participate in the reading of the nuclear stations.

Robin was an inspiration, keeping silence during the walk.

Fr. Paul Colbert leads the procession to the Test Site.

As Eugene sets the pace.






Approaching the line at the Nevada Test Site, witnesses join hands.


Nye County Sheriff and Wackenhut Security stand guard behind the line.

Protestors lay down behind the line and over it. Voicing prayers for healing for the world and the end of nuclear weapons testing.

A clap of thunder sounded as protestors crossed the line.

Chelsea Collogne kneels in prayer.

Photos by Mario P. Intino, Jr.