Thread: Elderly nun sentenced over US nuclear site break-in

Elderly nun sentenced over US nuclear site break-in







Greg Boertje-Obed (left), Sister Megan Rice and Michael Walli were sentenced to prison in connection with damage at a US nuclear facility

An elderly Catholic nun has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison for damage caused while breaking into a US nuclear defence site.

Sister Megan Rice, 84, and two other protesters cut fences and entered the Oak Ridge, Tennessee, facility, which processes and stores uranium.

The July 2012 incident prompted security changes at the Y-12 site.

Sister Megan, from Washington DC, had previously said she only regretted having waited 70 years to take action.

"Please have no leniency with me," she told the court at Tuesday's sentencing hearing.

"To remain in prison for the rest of my life would be the greatest gift you could give me."

'Displays of ineptitude'

The nun, as well as peace activists Michael Walli and Greg Boertje-Obed, were convicted in May 2013 in connection with the incident.

It [the plant] is manufacturing that which can only cause death” - Sister Megan Rice

Walli and Boertje-Obed were sentenced to more than five years in prison on Tuesday.
The three had initally faced up to 20 years in prison after their conviction for sabotaging the plant.

The members of the group Transform Now Plowshares were also found guilty of causing more than $1,000 (£643) of damage to government property.

The break-in disrupted operations at Oak Ridge and reportedly caused more than $8,500 of damage.

The three activists admitted cutting the fence to get into the site, walking around, spray-painting words, stringing out crime scene tape and chipping a wall with hammers.

They spent two hours inside.

They also sprayed the exterior of the complex with baby bottles containing human blood.

When a guard approached, they offered him food and started singing.

During their initial trial Sister Megan said her only regret was waiting so long to stage her protest. "It is manufacturing that which can only cause death," she said.

In a previous statement to the court, Boertje-Obed, a decorator from Minnesota, said: "Nuclear weapons do not provide security. Our actions were providing real security and exposing false security."

After the activists' break-in, the US Congress and the Department of Energy investigated the facility and found "troubling displays of ineptitude".

Top officials were reassigned, including at the National Nuclear Security Administration.

WSI, the company providing security at the site, was dismissed and other officers were sacked, demoted or suspended.

The facility was constructed as part of the Manhattan Project, the top-secret US programme to develop the very first nuclear bomb


BBC News - Elderly nun sentenced over US nuclear site break-in

It [the plant] is manufacturing that which can only cause death” - Sister Megan Rice

Stupid old cow.

Top officials were reassigned, including at the National Nuclear Security Administration.

WSI, the company providing security at the site, was dismissed and other officers were sacked, demoted or suspended.

Ah well a happy ending then

They should have been paid, not jailed for sorting that security problem out.

There is that.

Originally Posted by Mr Lick

"To remain in prison for the rest of my life would be the greatest gift you could give me."

Nutter.

The heading is incorrect . She wasnt jailed for protesting, she was jailed for breaking in and the damage caused .

Originally Posted by kingwilly

Originally Posted by Mr Lick

"To remain in prison for the rest of my life would be the greatest gift you could give me."

Nutter.

Lucky the Judge was more tolerent that I am.

My response to that would have been "you got it"......

84 and still has the guts to stand up to "Big Brother". All you can do is slag her off! I suppose she should have signed on TD and become a key board warrior. Yip that would really make a difference in our screwed up world.

84 Year old nun sentenced to 3 years imprisonment in US for protesting

False title.

She was not sentenced for protesting.

OP, what are you trying to pull?

She broke through three fences, hung up banners and threw human blood around.

If that wasn't a protest, what was the fecking point?

She probably regrets all those souls that could have been given to God without the nuclear deterrent.?
Stupid deluded old cnut.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

She broke through three fences, hung up banners and threw human blood around.

If that wasn't a protest, what was the fecking point?

The point was, she was not jailed for her political stance, she was jailed for damaging property.

Oh, sorry.

I didn't realise it was a nitpicking thread.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

She broke through three fences, hung up banners and threw human blood around.

If that wasn't a protest, what was the fecking point?

Pagan fertility ritual?

MSNBC: "An 84-year old woman received an unreasonably long jail sentence because of a peace protest she was involved in".

Terrible grammar I know, but they are American you know.

America has been known to shoot themselves in the foot on occasions and this incident, in my view, is just another of those classic heavy handed affairs they happen to be quite famous for.

The fact that elderly people were able to easily access a nuclear site and stroll around at their own leisure for 2 hours should of course be a national embarrassment. CCTV? Security personnel? Some might say that if anyone is deserving of imprisonment it most likely is the security staff at the sensitive site where the breach occurred

I suspect many nations would wish this to be tomorrows news very swiftly but not America who in it's all encompassing wisdom demand that the geriatric invaders be deserving of a custodial sentence, sending a message to all senior citizens across the country that the US government is not to be f**ked with and yet again highlighting their inability to mix congenially with the civilised world.

If they wanted their national security incompetence swept under the carpet anytime soon it's a massive fail. You simply don't dish out free advertising to protesters.

In my experience I have come across similar security breaches in the UK which haven't even made the news simply because the MoD wish it that way.


Locking up pensioners for cutting holes in a fenceline and daubing paint on walls? Give me a break.

Originally Posted by Mr Lick

Locking up pensioners for cutting holes in a fenceline and daubing paint on walls? Give me a break.

It's the "War of Terror" you see.

Oops, sorry, I mean "War on Terror".

Added: Ah feck, the NSA will be snooping all over my email now.

Meh.

Vietnam - Failure

Iraq - Failure

Afghanistan - Failure

Terrorising US pensioners - Mission Accomplished

Greenham Common women protestors in 1980's U.K
Still a few types out there

But just think at about the deterrent effect. If you are an 84 year old nun, you will think twice before breaking into a nuclear facility from now on!

Originally Posted by wasabi

Greenham Common women protestors in 1980's U.K
Still a few types out there

Took them a few years to reclaim the land but nevertheless a win for the 'common' people

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

I didn't realise it was a nitpicking thread.

They all are, Harry.

Originally Posted by Mr Lick

America has been known to shoot themselves in the foot on occasions and this incident, in my view, is just another of those classic heavy handed affairs they happen to be quite famous for.

Nobody cares.

This is not a big story.

In the 1980s in my former hometown protesters did the same thing - trespass / onto nuke bases and break in and do something.

Maybe that's the whole point of the story. Protesters do feel passionate enough in what they believe in to take that extra step. If indeed nobody in America cares that elderly people are being locked up for several years for minor criminal damage then it's possible the Taliban may have rewritten the sentencing guidelines.

Governments should know enough about their own people not to make themselves appear heartless and ultimately fools especially when dealing with the elderly. They would have done well to play the whole thing down, instead in true 'don't shit with our government' style they made complete asses of themselves.

In comparison they are beginning to make Mugabe appear compassionate.