Y-12 activists arraigned in federal court

By MIKE KRAFCIK
6 News Reporter

KNOXVILLE (WATE) – Three peace activists, including an 82-year-old nun were arraigned Monday morning in federal district court on federal trespassing charges for their roles in an unprecedented security breach at Y-12 national security complex.  

Michael Walli, 63, of Washington, D.C.; Sister Megan Rice, 82, of Nevada; and Greg Boertje-Obed, 57, of Duluth, Minn., are members of a movement called "Transform Now Plowshares."

They managed to cut through four barbed wire fences and targeted the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, where they hung banners, spray-painted and splashed human blood on the side of the building.  

The activists protested the production of nuclear weapons and the Department of Energy's plans to rebuild the site's Uranium Processing Facility.  

During Monday's arraignment hearing, the three activists waived their right to a detention hearing. They'll be held in the Blount County Jail until Thursday's preliminary hearing at 1:30 p.m.  

The trespassing charges against them could carry penalties up to a year's imprisonment and fines up to $100,000. Bill Killian, a U.S. attorney, said charges could be added later.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Kirby argued against freeing the defendants until their preliminary hearing. Kirby said the nature of the charges were more than just trespassing.

She called the defendants a danger to the community and said she considered them to be a flight risk. All three activists have extensive arrest records pertaining to breaching a number of federal facilities in different states, according to Killian.

Walli was one of ten activists who were convicted last year of trespassing after they intentionally crossed a blue line separating state and federal property at the Y-12 complex in 2010. 

"The number of previous acts by some of them throughout the country at different federal facilities, the transient nature of their movement through the country, the nature of the facility here that was breached," Killian said.  

It was an unprecedented security breach at the Y-12, according to Steven Wyatt, a spokesman for the National Nuclear Security Administration at Y-12.  

Wyatt said the activists crossed into what is called the Y-12 protected area which has a perimeter detection intrusion system. He said the system detected the protesters, but only after they had successfully entered the restricted property.  

Wyatt confirmed that the protesters were targeting HEUMF, a warehouse used for storing enriched uranium; the facility was completed in 2007.    

"It's certainly never happened before, so, it's something we don't want to happen again, obviously," Wyatt said.  

The break-in comes just days after WSI, the government's security contractor in Oak Ridge, announced plans to eliminate 34 security police officers at Y-12. Wyatt said he didn't know if this played a role in the breach.  

"All aspects will be reviewed, and we'll go from there," Wyatt said.  

All three activists are from different states, another reason why prosecutors said they want them to remain detained.  

The investigation is still on-going, federal prosecutors are working with the Department of Energy Inspector General's Office and National Nuclear Security Administration.  

The defacing of an enriched uranium warehouse at Y-12 was considered a success for members of the Plowshares movement, who wanted to get their anti-nuclear weapon message out to the public. 

"When we spoke with them from jail on Saturday, they were, I have described it as elated, because they did what they wanted to do, they came back," said Ellen Barfield, a friend of the activists, acting as a Plowshares movement spokesperson.  

Barfield said she wouldn't be surprised if the activists face additional charges.

Boertje-Obed will be representing himself. The court has appointed him an "elbow attorney" to assist him in court procedures only. Walli and Sister Rice will have court-appointed attorneys.