GREENPEACE ACTIVISTS REMAIN IN DETENTION NEAR MARSHALL ISLANDS MISSILE LAUNCH SITE
Seven arrestees at Vandenberg call for end to Star Wars program
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE—July 8, 2000 – Altogether nine Greenpeace activists were arrested yesterday for challenging
the Pentagon’s Star Wars missile program. On the Marshall Islands two activists were arrested following their occupation
of the Star Wars interceptor missile launch site yesterday. And at Vandenberg Air Force Base seven Greenpeace activists
were arrested, some less than one quarter of a mile from the Minuteman II missile launch site.
The last arrests were made just one hour before the scheduled launch. The seven are charged with trespassing and are due
to appear in Federal Court at Vandenberg Air Force Base on August 17th.
In the Marshall Islands, James Roof of Missoula, Montana and Meike Huelsman of Hamburg, Germany are being detained by
U.S. Marshalls and have yet to be charged. On Kwajalein atoll, the activists occupied the launch site for the Star Wars
interceptor missile one hour and a half before the test was scheduled to begin. They held a banner reading, “Stop Star
Wars”, then notified Air Force authorities of their presence in the area.
Greenpeace vowed to carry on its campaign to stop the Star Wars program before it ignites a new nuclear arms race.
“I wanted to do everything I could to challenge this irresponsible and dangerous program,” said Vandenberg arrestee
Anastasia Pfarr, 25 of Washington DC. “If this program goes ahead, the world will be a much more dangerous place.”
Lawrence Turk, a registered nurse from Missoula, Montana was in the Vandenberg launch site for a total of four days.
“ President Clinton must take his finger off the Star Wars button and scrap the whole program. Star Wars won’t protect
the United States --- it puts this country and the entire world at risk.”
Greenpeace expressed little surprise the last night’s controversial test was a failure. “Star Wars is pork in space,”
said Greenpeace USA campaign director Steve Shallhorn.” It’s a boondoggle for aerospace companies like Boeing who expect
to make millions of dollars off a misguided program that will ignite a news arms race.”
ENDS