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Vandenberg 15
updated: Oct 20, 2012, 3:00 PM
By Robert Bernstein
Daniel Ellsberg was a military analyst during the US war in Vietnam and very much believed in the cause.
But the more he learned, the more he realized those in power were lying to the American people. The
result: He risked going to prison for life in order to smuggle out the Pentagon Papers.
He was the Bradley Manning and the Julian Assange of his day.
Ellsberg's life would never be the same. In the decades since (he is now 81), he has been arrested
numerous times to draw attention to illegal and unethical activities by the US government, mostly on
military matters.
Back in February, he was part of the "Vandenberg 15" who were arrested on their way to protest a
missile launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base.
This Tuesday, October 16, he and most of the rest of the Vandenberg 15 explained why they were there.
Ellsberg explained that the US is in violation of numerous laws because of its continued testing and
development of nuclear weapons and missiles. For decades, the US has been obligated by treaty to
eliminate all nuclear weapons and nuclear missiles. It has failed to do so.
As John Amadon of Albany, NY explained, this was not civil disobedience. It was "civil resistance" to
highlight the illegality of US nuclear weapons policies.
Also speaking at the event was David Krieger of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, sponsor of the
event. And Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in the US war in Iraq.
During Q&A an audience member described how Ellsberg had given him the courage to speak up quietly
with a sign to protest another violation of law. The occasion was a speech by John Yoo at the Reagan
Center. Yoo had signed off to torture captured prisoners of war during the Bush Administration, in
violation of both US and international law.
Ellsberg was honored that he had helped inspire such courage. Ellsberg went on to say that he himself
had been inspired to his courage by those who had come before him.
The Vandenberg 15 had gathered in anticipation of their trial. They had been warned by the judge that
they would not be allowed to introduce any substantive evidence or issues regarding nuclear weapons
or policy and the relevant violations of law by the US government. It would only be treated as a
trespassing case.
But, at the last minute, the government asked the case to be dropped. As in the Pentagon Papers case,
the government itself had apparently violated the law in its zeal to go after the protestors and it wanted
the case to end before it started.
Here are my photos of the two hour
standing-room only event at the Faulkner Gallery.
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