Activist sentenced to Ten days for trying to Stop Subcritical Nuclear Weapons test "Oboe 3" On Thursday, May 4, in an attempt to deter future nonviolent actions at the Nevada Test Site (NTS), Nye County's Justice of the Peace Bill Sullivan found Susi Snyder guilty of Trespass, Resisting Arrest and Public Nuisance.

This was for her nonviolent actions during a February 3rd early morning blockade of the main road leading into NTS in an attempt to stop subcritical nuclear weapons test "Oboe 3".

Susi was one nine activists that linked arms and walked across the main entrance into NTS blocking worker traffic from entering the site, several hours before the planned detonation of Oboe 3.

All of the activists carried permits issued by the Western Shoshone National Council allowing them to be on Western Shoshone land. NTS is located in the heart of the Western Shoshone Nation known as "Newe Sogobia". For many decades the Western Shoshone Nation (the most bombed nation on Earth with over 1000 nuclear devices exploded within their traditional territory) have been stridently working to shut down NTS and begin immediate clean up and environmental remediation.

The nonviolent activists walked about 15 feet into the site until stopped by a line of Nye County Sheriffs and Wackenhut private security guards and then sat down on the roadway. At this time the sheriffs and Wackenhut began using intimidation tactics and pain compliance holds while dragging the demonstrators off the road into the holding pens built for just this purpose. 3 of the activists agreed to walk with the guards.

Soon Susi and Graham Sullivan (no relation to Justice Sullivan) were the only ones left on the road. Then the Sheriffs escalated their abuse of this nonviolent duo. Grahams thumb was sprained while being twisted around and Susi was hit in the face and pushed roughly to the ground. After Graham had been removed from the roadway, the Sheriffs decided to separate Susi and send her to the county jail in Beatty. Susi and others believe that this was to single her out because of her vocal and effective efforts to raise public awareness in Las Vegas about what was going on at NTS and organize public opposition to the subcritical nuclear testing program as well as ongoing nuclear waste dumping and plans for the Yucca Mountain High Level Nuclear Waste dump.

After a four hour trial presided over by Justice Sullivan during which both Sheriff and Wackenhut witnesses perjured themselves, and the five defense witnesses testified that they all did the same action and were not prosecuted while Susi who was totally nonviolent was singled out, she was found guilty and fined a total of $450 and thirty days in jail- 16 suspended for one year, and she was given credit for four days time-served for a total of ten days. She has until May 15th to notify the court of her intent to appeal, or the sentence will be imposed on May 16 at that time. Susi plans on appealing the verdict and sentencing noting that the judge was very biased and nonobjective.

"If the justice court thinks this is a deterrent," Susi said "they are sorely mistaken- now is the time for thousands to converge on the test site, and SHUT IT DOWN." These subcritical nuclear weapons test, one of which Susi was attempting to stop are detonated dangerously close to Nevada's groundwater. The plutonium in these tests- which is exploded into dust, travels quickly through to the water table- and is deadly to all living things. These tests violate the non proliferation treaty, recently under review at the United Nations. They demonstrate the United States military desire (driven by the greed for tax dollars of Lockheed Martin, Bechtel and others) to continue in the arms race. These subcritical nuclear weapons tests have been denounced by nations throughout the world.

"With the lack of ratification of the CTB and expanded weapons research at the NTS this action by the Nye county officials is yet another escalation in their efforts to squash the opposition to the destruction occurring at all nuclear facilities. I hope that folks will recognize that what the DOE is Doing at the Test Site is similar to taking the Test underground in 1963. All of us that can should come down and support the effort to close the NTS as it is an icon of US Global dominance in a starving world." said Mateo Ferreira, a "loser carpenter from Michigan".