Protesters unlikely to get day in court
By BOB AUDETTE, Reformer Staff
Tuesday, March 6
BRATTLEBORO -- If protesters who unfurled a "SHUT VY" banner Monday morning at Entergy's headquarters are hoping to get their day in court, they are sadly mistaken.
That was the sentiment expressed by State's Attorney Dan Davis, after the four anti-nuclear protesters were cited by the Brattleboro Police Department for unlawful trespass.
Davis has said in the past -- which he reaffirmed Monday afternoon -- that he has no plans to let the protesters use the overloaded court system as their political soapbox.
"Although it's going down, we have a backlog in our criminal case load in district court," said Davis. It's inappropriate, he said, for the protesters to use the courts as "another forum to make a political statement."
The four -- Elizabeth Wood and Daniel Sicken of Dummerston, Jane Newton of Londonderry and John Ward of Gill, Mass. -- were cited for unlawful trespass, said Lt. Robert Kirkpatrick, the day-shift commander for the local police.
At just past 6 a.m. Monday, the Brattleboro Police Department received a call that people, using ladders, were on the roof.
"We take that seriously," said Kirkpatrick. The four protesters who
hung the banner were arrested and cited for unlawful trespass.
Four police officers responded to the scene, he said, adding all four protesters were arrested without incident.
In the past, anti-nuclear protesters who have been arrested and cited for a variety of infractions -- including trespass and disorderly conduct -- have had their charges quietly dismissed prior to any court dates.
Davis said no action would be taken against seven people who chained themselves to the front gate of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant Jan. 23. He said he didn't anticipate that any action would be taken against the four arrested Monday either.
"I'm not going to say there won't be any action taken in the future," said Davis, but based on the facts of these two events, he wouldn't be taking any of the 11 to court.
In October, protesters attempted to unfurl a similar banner, but were unable to get it hung before police arrived.
"I'm not concerned about whether they charge us and take us to court," Wood said, adding that some protesters would use their court dates as an opportunity to speak against the relicensing.
"But I want to get the message out to all the people in Vermont and our state legislators," she said. "Maybe those people up north don't know how we are feeling down here. Hopefully this will help tell them."
"What I am aiming for with civil disobedience is to make the issue more visible around the state," said Wood, who added that most local legislators have let it be known that they are not happy with the relicensing of the power plant.
"We are getting the message across," said Deb Katz, of Citizen Awareness Network, which has helped organize and support protests in the past. She said the unfurling of the banner was just one in a series of actions "to continue to make it clear that this reactor has to shut down."
Katz said the chaining of the protesters and the unfurling of the banner are efforts to raise awareness around the state about the relicensing of the power plant.
"The issue hasn't been on people's radar," she said.
"This sends a strong message," said Sicken. "We feel the plant should be shut down. Why not hang a big banner across the place where all the top executives are allowing this to happen."
Because the regulatory processes that are in place "cannot be counted on to shut down Vermont Yankee," Wood wrote in an e-mail announcing the protest. It's important for people like here to keep awareness at a heightened level.
"I simply don't know what else to do," wrote Newton, in the e-mail. "Right now we are hoping to persuade our Vermont legislature to vote against extending the life of Vermont Yankee for 20 more terrifying years, but the powers of giant corporations are beyond belief and I can't trust our politicians to do the right thing."
Katz said legislators have a chance to both shut down a polluting industry and make Vermont a pioneer in clean energy, "something that their grandchildren will be proud of."
"There is the possibility the Legislature will pass a green energy portfolio this session," said Katz. "Legislators need to think creatively and they need to be accountable."
"If there is no strong public outcry many legislators will see continuing to operate VY as the most expedient solution to Vermont's future energy demand," Wood wrote in her e-mail.
Entergy, which owns and operates the power plant, is in the process of asking the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to extend Vermont Yankee's operating license from 2012 to 2032. The company recently received approval to increase its power output by 20 percent.
This was never about a day in court! This was and continues to always be about shutting down Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant! Keep up the good work.This is a sad commentary about how the news is reported here in Brattleboro Vermont
