We approached the Foley Federal building quickly, but we weren't quite running. We reached the overhang, and the ladder was put into place, at the word set, I was already halfway up it. I turned once reaching the top, and was handed the two banners. I didn't even turn to look to see if the ladder was pulled up, before I already began unfurling the banners, and got them ready to attach to the building. It was a relief to see that Reinard had made it up the ladder safely, and was in fact moving into place so we could get the banners hung.
It took a while to get the banners up, but there was no reaction from below at all for a few minutes. The people standing in the middle of the street, on the median taking photographs must have tipped off the security inside, because they soon came out and started yelling up at us. "Hey get down from there, and Bring those banners too, NOW!" Of course, we did no such thing, and instead got the banners hung and sat urselves down directly above the 300 S. Las Vegas Blvd sign, covering it with another three foot banner which said "NO NUKES!". All in all the front of the building looked like a tribute to nuclear free zones, with two banners stretching 10 feet into the air reading "Don't be Hypocritical, Stop the Subcritcal!" and "Stop Nuclear Testing Now!", and the two of us in brilliant white radiation suits with the smaller banner covering the lockbox between us.
It was a great action. It felt fantastic to be up on the roof and to see all of the support down below us. There were folks there from Food Not Bombs, Nevada Desert Experience, Citizen Alert, Seeds of Peace, and Shundahai Network. The rally on the ground was quite intense at times, with people chanting and displaying a number of signs and banners which all demanded an end from the nuclear terror inflicted on the world for the past 53 years and a return to a better way of life.
The police themselves were all very friendly, and kept cool during the entire time they were on the roof, not letting anything surprise them. They dealt with us in a calm respectful manner, as we did with them. The ladder which we had used to get onto the roof was between us on top of the lockbox. This was the first obstacle to removing us, and the fire department used a saw to cut us from that. Then we were removed from the roof, still locked together, and brought down via the fire ladder.
The ground below us was cleared of all supporters, and the press were even forced go to the other side of the street. At this point, the cameras, the eyes of the world, were forced blind by a police "sterile zone". (Later I heard that there were many angry reporters with comments flying back and forth on cell phones regarding freedom of the press.) We sat down in the street as soon as we got to it, and refused to move. The police were quick to pick us up and put us into the waiting van. Once in the van, since we were removed from our supporters, we decided to unlock from each other.
We were held in the federal building for an hour, and were then cited and released. Charged with Non- Conformity with direction during a demonstration, and Disturbance- conduct on government property which created/ obstructed the performance of government operations. It really makes me laugh to be tagged by the government as a Non-Conformist, which I've known for years.
I believe that it's very important for this to have happened. For folks to realize that these nukes are a continual threat. A threat which will only end once every uranium mine is shut down, every nuclear power plant is closed and taken apart, and once all the nuclear weapons of the world are dismantled and even then we still have thousands of years to wait until the air, the water and our Mother Earth are once again fully healed.
In Peace
Susi Snyder