News Release

Anti-Nuclear Activists Facing 25 Years in Prison Urge Dismissal of Charges

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KBP_group_2_signs_horizSeven Catholic peace activists facing 25 years in prison for entering the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in Georgia to protest U.S. nuclear weapons policy will make their oral arguments in federal district court in Georgia next week.
The activists, known as the Kings Bay Plowshares 7, sought to “nonviolently and symbolically disarm the Trident nuclear submarine base at Kings Bay” on April 4, 2018, the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

MARY ANNE GRADY FLORES, gradyflores08 at gmail.com

Grady Flores is on the media support team of the Kings Bay Plowshares 7.

She said today: “The Kings Bay Plowshares 7 are facing a federal trial and a 25-year prison term for having confronted a system in which nuclear weapons that can destroy all creation are accepted as a normal, even inevitable, part of life. On August 7 they will go before U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Wood. As many as 100 supporters are expected to travel from throughout the country to Georgia to attend the hearing, which could last more than one day.

“A number of the activists’ supporters are planning to fast from August 6 through 9, the 74th anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. They have planned vigils and other events in Brunswick and at the gate of Kings Bay Naval Base in St. Mary’s, Georgia in support of the seven activists and their plea for the abolition of nuclear weapons. More information on the activities throughout the week will be available at www.kingsbayplowshares7.org.

“This hearing will mark the first time the seven will be together in court since last November. The primary focus of their oral argument will be to explicate their objections to the 80-page report released in April from Magistrate Judge Benjamin Cheesbro. He had recommended the denial of defense motions to dismiss the charges based on the evidence presented concerning the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

A Kings Bay Plowshares 7 global petition calling for the dismissal of charges is being circulated and has been signed by thousands along with over 100 world-renowned leaders including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Beatrice Fihn, Mairead McGuire, and other Nobel laureates, Martin Sheen, Angela Davis, Phyllis Bennis, Rev. Dr. William Barber, Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, Oscar Lopez Rivera, Noam Chomsky, Daniel Ellsberg, Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, and Huwaida Arraf. The list of prominent signers is available at: https://www.kingsbayplowshares7.org/global-petition.

For a copy of the decision and copies of the defendants’ statements to the court and their legal motions see: https://kingsbayplowshares7.org/about/rfra-evidentiary-hearing/

Four of the Plowshares activists will make a rare public appearance together in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, August 11 at 5 p.m. at Busboys and Poets Cafe, 14th & V Streets. The event will be broadcast live on the Kings Bay Plowshares’ Facebook page. CODE PINK, Busboys & Poets Cafe, and Pax Christi – Pentagon Area are co-sponsors of the event.