Nevada Desert Experience
Friday, April 6, 2012
Contact: John Amidon or Jim Haber, 702-646-4814 (office),
518-312-6442 (mobile John) 415-828-2506 (mobile Jim)
Good Friday
In A Nuclear World:
10 arrested at the Nevada National
Security Site
Nevada Desert Experience (NDE) concluded its 26th
annual Sacred Peace Walk this morning at 11:00am.
Thirty people participated in this year's walk from
Las Vegas to the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS).
Ten were arrested in an often-repeated act of civil
resistance standing for global nuclear abolition and
Western Shoshone sovereignty in this region. The peaceful
and prayerful demonstration included dozens of participants,
with the final element of ten who crossed the line
and were arrested by the Nye County Sheriffs and Wackenhut
Security forces guarding the infamous nuclear testing
grounds.
NDE continues its mission of supporting “personal
renewal through desert spirituality, reconnecting
with each other and the earth to end subcritical tests
and other war-making preparations at the Nevada National
Security Site and preventing the return of full-scale
nuclear testing.” The NNSS continues its mission
of promoting global domination through nuclear weapons
prowess, as supported by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Today’s activities began with a Western Shoshone
sunrise prayer service led by Shoshone Chief Johnnie
Bobb. The weekend will continue the formation of a
PeaceCamp gathering
with a reunion of peace-campers across US Highway
95 from the NNSS Mercury Exit. Earlier this week,
the Sacred Peace Walkers held vigil at Creech Air
Force Base as well, prior to the vigil for peace at
the NNSS.
The ten NDE participants arrested today are Miki
Tracy of WI, Rev. Felicia Parazaider of CA, Fr. Louie
Vitale of CA, Laura-Marie Taylor of CA, John Amidon
of Albany, NY, Theo Kayser of Los Angeles, CA, Erik
Johnson of TN, Dennis Duvall of Prescott, AZ, and
local Las Vegans Charlie Smith and Robert Majors.
Two days prior to this prayer-action which ended in
arrests at the NNSS, four of the above-named Sacred
Peace Walkers were arrested at Creech Air Force Base
while standing for international human rights (see
the NDE
news release) after serving an indictment to Col.
James Hecker for violations of human rights.
After the Nuclear Stations of the Cross, we process
to the nuclear testing site...
...and are briefly interrupted by the Nye County
Sheriffs and Wackenhut Security folks...
