ROME - 30 July 2003 - 330 words

Colorado: Dominican nuns jailed over peace protest

Three Dominican nuns - Sr Ardeth Platte, 66, Sr Carol Gilbert, 55, and Sr Jackie Hudson, 68 ­ have been sent to prison for a total of more than eight years for staging a protest at a nuclear base.

The Dominican International Commission for Justice and Peace report that last Friday, Federal Judge Blackburn sentenced Sr Ardeth, to 41 months; Sr Carol to 33 months; and Sr Jackie to 30 months. The nuns will also have to pay $3,000 in fines.

Last April they were found guilty by a federal court in Colorado for harming national defence and damaging federal property. The three cut through a chain link fence surrounding a Minuteman Three Missile Silo in Weld County, hammered on the silo's manhole covers and drew crosses with their own blood. The nuns said the actions were symbolic and not sabotage.

"October 6th" ­ explained the nuns to the court ­ "was not a date that was chosen randomly, but is the anniversary of the beginning of the US military intervention against Afghanistan and the idea was that of witnessing the non-violent choice with a clamorous gesture, which was however inoffensive".

Sr Carol said: "I knew that my small hammer could not have damaged the missile ­ nevertheless, it was important to outline that one cannot resort to the name of God to carry out destruction and death".

Following news of their arrest, the sisters received many messages of support from around the world - including letters from Buddhist monks, Catholic workers, and peace organisations.

Throughout their trial the sisters continued their non-violent protest against nuclear weapons, by dressing in black, and they remained in silence in front of the court.

The sisters said their main aim was to draw attention to the existence of America's "huge stockpiles of illegal and dangerous weapons of mass destruction".

They said the enormous amount of money spent on these weapons should be used instead for the eradication of poverty and hunger.

Source: MISNA

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