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NEWS ADVISORY
17 March 2009
Contact Trinity Nuclear Abolitionists: 505 242 0497


NUCLEAR WEAPONS vs. FREEDOM OF RELIGION
IN LOS ALAMOS MAGISTRATE COURT



Trinity Nuclear Abolitionists are holding monthly prayer-actions at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). On Tuesday, March 31, 2009, the peace vigil will be in front of the main entrance sign at the corner of Diamond and West Jemez in Los Alamos, NM, from 7:30 am until 8:30 am. The vigil is being conducted TWICE this month, because there are more people joining Trinity Nuclear Abolitionists (TNA). Marcus Page, a member of TNA, will go to trial in the local courtroom an hour after the vigil on March 31, 2009, because LANL, local police, and the Department of Energy (D.o.E.) expect the courts will justify their claim to the land.

This will be the eleventh prayer-action since LANL security had abolitionists arrested last April, and the 22nd since the monthly vigils began almost two years ago. Nuclear abolitionists come every month to publicly demonstrate against nuclearism. Since July 2007 security personnel have threatened to arrest demonstrators at least five times, but only once did LANL follow through with their threat to stop the vigil. Marcus Page says, “At the beginning they always told us they would arrest us if we didn't leave, and they always backed down when we remained on alleged D.o.E. property. The first jury couldn't agree which side has more rights, so the D.o.E. wants a new jury to defend their immoral nuclear rights.”

On April 14, 2008, two members of TNA were arrested for praying at LANL in opposition to war taxes. They were part of a group of six who held vigil on the 14th and 15th of April. The two were interrupted while standing on Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation land, which houses Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS). LANS manages LANL is directly involved with the University of California. Both TNA members were charged with alleged trespass.

One defendant, Mike Butler, made a plea bargain in September 2008, and was later exonerated. The other defendant, Marcus Page, is being re-tried on March 31, 2009 at the behest of the Department of Energy for for alleged trespassing while praying at Los Alamos, NM. The prior trial utilized a jury which failed to reach consensus on guilt or innocence.

TNA is always nonviolent, peaceful and usually playful. The Christians in TNA believe that national, local and international crimes are being committed by LANL employees on-site. TNA believes that loving enemies (rather than developing bombs) brings about the highest quality of security, and thereby calls for nuclear disarmament along with active rebuilding of a peaceful structures in the USA.

LANL is a facility of the Department of Energy (DoE). President Obama has pushed for a transfer of this facility back into the hands of the War Department (DoD). TNA is opposed to the missions and visions of LANS, LANL, the DoD and the DoE. TNA is committed to the goodness of their employees, yet decries their works of war and nuclear barbarism.