Kings Bay Plowshares 7
Action Against Nuclear Annihilation Bill Hartman
Seven Catholic plowshares activists entered
Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in St. Mary’s, GA on April 4th, 2018.
They went to make real the prophet Isaiah’s command to “beat swords into plowshares.”
Philadelphia Catholic Peace Fellowship has been mindful and supportive of the Anti-Nuclear Weapons Protest and Arrest of Seven Catholic Peace Activists. The Seven are known as ‘The Kings Bay Plowshares 7’. They are Elizabeth McAllister (79) from Jonah House, Baltimore; Steve Kelly, S.J. (70), a Jesuit Priest from West Coast Province; Mark Colville (55) Catholic Worker New Haven; Claire Grady (59) Ithaca Catholic Worker; Martha Hennessy (63) New York Catholic Worker and granddaughter of Dorothy Day; Carmen Trotta (55) New York Catholic Worker and Patrick O’Neill (61) N. Carolina Catholic Worker.
All Seven are still awaiting a trial date! The Seven were arrested on the night of April 4, 2018 on the Trident Submarine Base Kings Bay Georgia. They entered the Sub Base by opening a hole in a perimeter fence and then proceeded to 3 sites on the base to deliver an indictment of crimes committed by our Government in our names by housing and maintaining 1 of 2 Trident Submarine Bases on American Shores (St. Mary’s, GA & Bangor, WA). They walked unimpeded to the administration building, the monument area, a replica of the D5 nuclear missile and most importantly the bunker area where the lethal missiles are locked away and protected by armed military guards.
The seven chose to act on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who devoted his life to addressing what he called the “triple evils of militarism, racism, materialism.” Carrying hammers and baby bottles of their own blood, the seven attempted to convert weapons of mass destruction. They hoped to call attention to the ways in which nuclear weapons kill every day by their mere existence and maintenance. The activists used crime scene tape, hammers and hung banners reading: “The ultimate logic of racism is genocide - Dr. Martin Luther King”, “The ultimate logic of Trident is omnicide” and “Nuclear weapons: illegal /immoral.”
There have been over 100 plow-shares actions for disarmament across the U.S. and around the world since 1980, when Fr. Daniel Berrigan, Fr. Carl Cabot, Sr. Anne Montgomery, and 5 others entered the General Electric Mk12A nuclear missile manufacturing facility in King Of Prussia and hammered on several missile casings, yet with NO nuclear bomb material in the plant or in the missile casing.
On Aug. 7, 2019, The Kings Bay Plowshares had their First hearing before their trial judge, Lisa Wood at the Federal Courthouse in the town of Brunswick, GA. The hearing addressed a motion by the defendants in light of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (1993) which provides broad protection for religious liberty. You must think of claims like that of the Hobby Lobby Business and the Green Family that fought against the Affordable Care Act in 2014. The defendants decision to request consideration of RFRA is new in this criminal court process. The defendants’ argument is that criminal prosecution is clearly and certainly a “substantial burden” on the exercise of
their religious beliefs against nuclear weapons. Also, they are compelled by their beliefs and their consciences to symbolically “beat swords into plowshares” and to do so as close as possible to the site of the sin, which is the idolatry of placing the threatened use of Trident Nuclear First Strike Weapons above Almighty God! They also argue that the government has failed to satisfy the Court’s requirement that the governmental interests be so compelling as to justify a no-religious accommodation policy.
The incarcerated defendants (Liz, Steve, Mark) were led into the court with leg-irons and prison jump suits. The other defendants wearing ankle monitors were free to enter the court with family, friends and supporters. The hearing of their motion was granted 90 minutes for each side’s presentation. Both defendants (4) and their attorneys addressed the issues of RFRA as did the prosecutor. We are all waiting for Judge Wood’s ruling on their motion, which might have a positive outcome for the seven as well as future activists trying to address the evils of nuclear weapons.
A bit of good news to report that on August 6th, while supporters were holding a 3 hour vigil at the submarine base gates, Elizabeth McAllister and Philip Berrigan’s 3 children were permitted to have a contact visit with their mom. It was Liz’s first contact visit with anyone other than attorneys in 16 months. Needless to say, ‘hugs and kisses’ were freely flowing and smiles and conversation not nearly long enough for the 30 minute visit. Elizabeth also was granted a visit from Martin Sheen and his East Coast attorney, Joe Cosgrove! Before flying back to California, Martin was able to stay with us and also sat in the court on Wednesday the 7th as a supporter to all. Approximately 80 friends from Maine to Mexico journeyed to Brunswick for the week of August 5 - 10 to pray, and vigil and interact with residents of the city of Brunswick and the naval personnel who work at the base!
NOTE: The Federal Trial in Brunswick, GA will start on 10/21/19.
Personal donations to support those incarcerated can be sent to: Plowshares, PO Box 3087, Washington, DC 20010
