"Star Wars" Protesters Arraigned
by Carah Ong, June 28, 2001

Actor Martin Sheen and 21 other peace activists were scheduled to be arraigned in Los Angeles County Federal Court on Wednesday June 27, on federal trespass charges arising from a nonviolent protest at Vandenberg Air Force Base on October 7, 2000.

The demonstration was part of an internationally coordinated day of protest to stop the militarization of space coordinated by the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space. Demonstrations took place in 16 countries and over 34 U.S. cities.

Vandenberg Air Force Base is the U.S. launch site for National Missile Defense (NMD) interceptor tests, first-strike nuclear missile tests and military satellites. The controversial NMD proposal, to deploy missiles intended to counter missile warheads aimed at the continental U.S., is only a small part of a broad set of initiatives for weapons which would operate through and from space. Research and development are underway on a suite of national missile defense technologies, including space-based weapons, which threaten to ignite a new global arms race. According to the U.S. Space Command's 'Vision for 2020,' the goal is "dominating the space dimension of military operations to protect US national interests and investment." The Bush Administration's support for NMD has met with vehement opposition from Russia and China and also reluctance and opposition from U.S. allies.

At a hearing in Lompoc last December, the October 2000 arrestees had their cases transferred to Federal Court in Los Angeles. After more than six months with no activitity in the case, they were notified to appear for arraignment on June 27, 2001.

On June 27, Martin Sheen plead guilty, accepting a $500 fine and three years probation. The judge denied Sheen's request to donate the fine money to charity. The remaining 21 protesters plead "not guilty." A trial date has been set for December 6, 2001. If found guilty, the protesters face up to six months in jail.

More protests are scheduled at Vandenberg Air Force Base during interceptor tests of the NMD system. Although a set date has not yet been announced, the next test of the controversial system is expected in late July. There will also be an International Day to Protest the Nuclearization and Weaponization of Outer Space on October 13, 2001.

For more information about the protesters' case, please contact Attorney Bill Simpich at (415) 595-4130. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, a cosponsor of the International Day to Protest the Militarization and Weaponization of Outer Space, has recently published a book on US missile defense plans entitled A Maginot Line in the Sky: International Perspectives on Ballistic Missile Defense.