Anti-Nuclear Weapons Activists Face 25 Years in Jail

The Kings Bay 7, were doing their part to put an end to the threat of nuclear war. Now they face a quarter-century in prison.

On the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, the Kings Bay 7 took King’s analysis of the “triple evils of militarism, racism and materialism” to heart and took action. With hammers and baby bottles filled with their own blood, the seven set out to transform the weapons of mass destruction kept at the Kings Bay Naval Base.

With crime scene tape, hammers and 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,” they presented an indictment against the US government for crimes against peace.

Kings Bay has six Trident submarines at the base, Each submarine can carry 24 submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Each can carry eight 100-kiloton nuclear warheads.

Seven anti-nuclear plowshares activists have been charged with three federal felonies and one misdemeanor for their actions. The activists are now awaiting trial for their action, at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in St. Mary’s, Georgia. If convicted on all counts they could face 25 years in prison.

 

 

Image: “A_modern_nuclear_bomb_explosion_over_a_small_city” by John Voo is licensed under CC BY 2.0