Denied Entrance To Warship Christening[sic], #Aegis9 Arrested For Criminal Trespass

The Aegis 9 about to be arrested at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works shipyard on April 1, 2017 protesting the christening [sic] of a destroyer warship. 

Artist Russell Wray at left wearing his Maka the dolphin hat and calling attention to the harmful effects of Navy sonar on the world's ocean dwelling species. 

Organizer Bruce Gagnon's message "Where do these Aegis go?" calls attention to environmental destruction of places like Jeju Island, South Korea, where a fishing village and soft coral reef were destroyed to create a deep water port for Aegis destroyers and other warships.

Artist Natasha Mayers at right created an awesome carbon footprint costume to highlight the massive contribution of the U.S. military to climate chaos.

Here is Natasha Mayers sans footprint but cum handcuffs being loaded into the police van. The Bath police officers set aside our signs as they arrested us so that our friends could return them to us later.

Jessica Stewart, 37, was the youngest of the Aegis 9, but this was hardly her first time in action at BIW. 

A young cop chatting her up at the station asked what her graduate work had been about.
Jessica: "My area of study was the history of capitalism."
Me: "Is it over yet?"
Cop: (sounding disgruntled) "Oh, that will never end."
Jessica: "History shows all systems come to an end eventually."

Jason Rawn in costume as Maine's Senator Angas King. His remarks stressed King's role in promoting commercial exploitation of fossil fuel reserves in the rapidly thawing Arctic. King was inside with the bigwigs from General Dynamics while Rawn was outside in the snow speaking to the 30 or so concerned citizens who came to protest building weapons of mass destruction instead of sustainable energy solutions.

Me in my Senator Susan Collins costume a la NASCAR drivers. Typically Collins is inside paying homage to her corporate sponsor General Dynamics during these events. Due to the snowstorm it was hard to tell who was being whisked through the gates in limos with tinted windows. It certainly wasn't the Aegis 9, as we weren't allowed in at all.

Aegis 9 defendants charged with criminal trespass for standing in front of the gate after being denied entrance to General Dynamics' Bath Iron Works shipyard:

Bob Dale – Brunswick, 92, VFP former Navy pilot; Russell Wray – Hancock, 61, Artist; Bruce Gagnon – Bath, 64, VFP (Veterans For Peace & Global Network); Natasha Mayers – Whitefield, 70, Artist; Mike Tork – Cape Cod, MA, 69, VFP former Navy Vietnam vet; Jessica Stewart – Bass Harbor, 37, Catholic Worker activist; Lisa Savage – Solon, 60, Teacher & Maine Natural Guard campaigner; Mark Roman – Solon, 69, Woodworker; Jason Rawn – Lincolnville, 45, War tax resister.

Thanks to a press release from the Bath Police Department, news of our arrest was reported in the Bangor Daily News and the Portland Press Herald. Reporters have told us in the past that Bath Iron Works has threatened to bar them from covering events inside the shipyard if they interview or photograph protesters outside the gates.

The arraignment of the Aegis 9 is set for May 14 at 1pm in West Bath District Court.

Protest Yet Another Warship That Wastes Dollars & Enables Environmental Crime

Image: Russell Wray

Reposting this timely news from Bruce Gagnon's blog Organizing Notes.

Civil disobedience in progress last summer as the uniformed crew of the Zumwalt destroyer avert their eyes.

Fools No More! Protest BIW Destroyer ‘Christening’

Saturday, April 1, 9am - noon
General Dynamics Bath Iron Works shipyard

Activists from Maine and Massachusetts will be committing an act of non-violent civil disobedience (now also called civil resistance) at Bath Iron Works on Saturday, April 1.

The legal protest will take place starting at 9:00 am at the corner of Washington & Spring Streets in Bath.  Peace activists will line up along the sidewalk on both sides of Washington St.  

At some point during the protest those intending to do their civil resistance action will do so.

Parking could be challenging down along Washington Street so we suggest parking at the UCC Neighborhood Church (the former steak house) on the corner of Washington & Centre St in downtown Bath.)

Illustration: Anthony Freda

The protest will focus on the dramatic need to immediately take positive steps to deal with climate change.  The assembled will demand the conversion of BIW to build commuter rail systems, offshore wind turbines, solar and tidal power systems.

Please come and support those who are willing to risk arrest in order to further community reflection and discussion about our great need to address the coming harsh impacts of climate change while we still can make a difference.  

Rather than waste our tax dollars on preparations for endless war we must turn the military industrial complex toward sustainable production.

The protest is being sponsored by:  Smilin' Trees Disarmament Farm; Maine Veterans For Peace; Citizens Opposing Active Sonar Threats (COAST); Maine Natural Guard; Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center; Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space; PeaceWorks; Pax Christi Maine; Merrimack Valley People for Peace (North Andover, MA); Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine

Banner: Russell Wray

Members of the #Zumwalt12 at their arraignment in Bath last summer. Their sign is in Korean and Japanese because these countries suffer the environmental and social ill effects of ongoing occupation by the U.S. military.

My note: Maine's congressional delegation will typically be in attendance as well. Here's my Senator Susan Collins costume for today, showcasing her many corporate sponsors.