Declaration of Independence from Nuclear Weapons

36 arrested at Y-12 National Security Complex.

NONVIOLENT Americans of Conscience being arrested at Y-12, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, July 5, 2010 Courtesy: ecumei's photostream/

(OAK RIDGE, Tenn.) - Priests and nuns, atheists, anarchist and one clown were among the 23 arrested by the State and 13 by the Federal Government for nonviolently resisting Nuclear Weapons at Y-12 on 5 July 2010.

Those facing State charges were arrested for obstructing the road way, one for failing to obey a police officer and Federal charges are for trespassing.

Before the nonviolent action that lead to the arrests the crowd made commitments to bear witness every Sunday at 5:55 PM at the site for a vigil and sing Keep Your Eyes on the Prize and the names of all who offered themselves against the insanity of nuclear war will be named out-loud until every one of them has been freed.

The action topped off a weekend long celebration of 30 years of The Nuke Resister and Nukewatch which had gathered 200 nonviolent activists who came as far away as Australia, from the California coast to New Hampshire, Canada and this lone voice from Florida;

However a Georgia State Government vehicle with two police officers in plain clothes watched this morning's happening from inside their air-conditioned van, and the one on the passenger side did flash me the Peace sign as I passed them by.

The Declaration of Independence from Nuclear Weapons at Y-12, was read just prior to the arrests:

The Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 indicted a government that engaged in barbaric conduct contrary to the laws of Humanity that included "works of death, destruction and tyranny unparalleled in the most barbaric ages" until the Age of Now!

Current Law requires an end to all planning, preparation, production, threat, or use of nuclear weapons and we the people have gathered here today, July 4, 2010 at Y-12 to demand this Government adhere to the fundamental rules and principles of Humanitarian Law.

These rules and principles require that civilians never be the object of attack. Consequently we must never use weapons that are incapable of distinguishing between civilians and military targets.

Whereas, all W-76 and W-76-1 thermonuclear secondaries produced at Y-12 are designed and produced to unleash 100 KT of uncontrollable and indiscriminate heat, blast and radiation, six times more than the Hiroshima Bomb,

Whereas, the International Court of Justice found that the destructive power of nuclear weapons cannot be contained in either space or time, and that the potential to destroy all civilization and the entire ecosystem of the planet,

Whereas, citizens have both rights and duties we the people of conscience must ensure future generations their right to life,

Whereas, under the principals of democracy we the people of conscience demand this government to fulfill its promise and responsibilities to pursue and achieve nuclear disarmament,

We the people of conscience therefore exercise the right of every citizen of this republic and this planet to peacefully resist the nuclear threat; attacking as it does every core concept of human rights.

Whereas it is a basic human right to be free of threat or violence, and it is our duty to protect children and future generations we call on this government to use our tax dollars that are now being used to wage permanent war unequivocally demand they be used to pursue a nuclear free world and clean up all chemical and radioactive contamination.

A few Photos at: ecumei's photostream/

Much more on this story to come and very related: Read more... wearewideawake.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1767&Itemid=234

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Eileen Fleming is the Producer of "30 Minutes with Vanunu" and "13 Minutes with Vanunu" Founder of WeAreWideAwake.org, Eileen is a Feature Correspondent for Arabisto.com, Author of "Keep Hope Alive" and "Memoirs of a Nice Irish American 'Girl's' Life in Occupied Territory" and the soon to be released "BEYOND NUCLEAR: Some of my Experiences of Mordechai Vanunu and the Holy Land: 2005-2010" youtube.com/user/eileenfleming. Eileen is a unique leader in her state and she intends to run for a Florida Congressional seat in the future, to help speed the process of change that is so demanded today. Like many who walk in similar steps, Eileen, like other writers at Salem-News.com, is an outspoken advocate for humanity and she has no tolerance for the oppressive forces of the world.