Annual Y-12 protest draws 200

[struggle4progress]

Nuclear weapons are 'instruments of death,' says peace activist

By Frank Munger
Sunday, August 5, 2007

OAK RIDGE — ~snip~

Five participants were arrested on charges of obstructing a roadway. Four of the protesters chained themselves to a barricade in front of the plant and may face additional charges, according to Oak Ridge Police Capt. Alan Massengill. ~snip~

The events began earlier in the day in the city’s Bissell Park, where participants watched puppet shows, ate food, listened to music and discussed current events — particularly the continued production of nuclear warheads at the Oak Ridge plant.

Y-12 enriched the uranium that was used in the “Little Boy” atomic bomb that was dropped in Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945.

After World War II ended, the Oak Ridge facility was converted to a bomb production plant, and it has built parts for every weapon in the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Y-12 is currently undergoing a major modernization effort, which could cost several billion dollars over the next decade. ~snip~

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2007/aug/05/annual-y-12-protest-draws-200/