[NukeNet] UC Student Hunger Strike: No More Nukes In Our Name!

[Will Parrish]

Dear friends,

The momentum is building for demilitarization of the UC (for example:
http://www.dailynexus.com/article.php?a=13918, www.freetheuc.org), which
will be a major step in our resistance to militarism, imperialism, and
environmental desecration. Please copy and paste the info brief below
and send to anyone who might be interested. Non-UC students are
certainly welcome to participate in or support this effort (there are
endless ways to support it!). Anyone interested in doing so can contact
me.

Best wishes and solidarity,

Will

 
UC Student Hunger Strike: No More Nuclear Bombs In Our Name!

May 9th will see the beginning of a hunger strike to demand that the
University of California stop engineering, testing and manufacturing
nuclear bombs.  This bold act of civil resistance is being coordinated
by students and community members across multiple UC campuses.  Some of
us have pledged to go without solid food - permanently, if necessary --
unless our demand is met!

The hunger strikers' basic position is this: At this critical time in
our world, with the survival of our planetary ecosystem hanging in the
balance, it is imperative for the UC Regents to stop providing a fig
leaf of academic respectability to the creation of the world's most
toxic and deadly weapons, and instead use their position of political
leverage to spur the US toward genuine nuclear disarmament,
democratization, and demilitarization. 

What Political Leverage? The UC has been the primary nuclear weapons lab
research contractor in the United States for over six decades.  It has
managed the Los Alamos (NM) and Lawrence Livermore (CA) nuclear weapons
compounds since their inceptions in 1943 and 1952, respectively.  Hence,
every nuclear weapon in the US arsenal was researched and designed by a
UC employee.

Why Now? In March, the US Nuclear Weapons Council, an interagency
committee of executives from the Departments of Defense and Energy,
announced that the UC's Livermore facility would develop a new hydrogen
bomb.  Officially, this is to be the first new US nuclear weapon since
the end of the Cold War.  Los Alamos is slated to manufacture the
plutonium bomb cores, or "pits," for these weapons.  Owing in part to
its technical complexity and political baggage, pit manufacturing is the
pivotal step in creating modern nuclear warheads.  It is also perhaps
the most polluting stage in the nuclear weapons production process.

These developments are part and parcel of a US government plan to
revitalize the entire nuclear weapons complex, so as to begin producing
dozens of new nukes every year.  Other nations rightfully view such
plans as a bellwether of US imperial ambitions and are responding in
kind.  The danger of a nuclear exchange has rarely been greater.

Why Else? As you read this, US nuclear attack submarines roam beneath
the waters of the Straight of Hormuz, outside of Iran, ready to launch
"small yield" nuclear weapons at "hardened underground targets" on
virtually a moment's notice. An assault of this type would kill tens of
thousands of innocent people, irradiate Iran's natural environment for
generations to come, and almost certainly escalate tensions among many
of the world's nations of the world so as to lead to even more
catastrophic future wars and bombings of this type. 

The type of nuclear weapon in question, the B61-11, was created by UC
employees at the Los Alamos laboratory in the mid-'90s.  UC
administrators, faculty members, staff, and students will be directly
complicit in this massacre, should it occur. 

Political Leverage, Revisited: If The Regents decline to support the
labs' hydrogen bomb initiative, due to critical grassroots pressure
applied by UC students and their supporters, the political consequences
will be vast.  The labs' new weapons program will very likely die.  The
US nuclear enterprise will have been dealt a major setback, from which
it is unlikely to fully recover. 

The US is a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, a United
Nations pact mandating the nuclear powers to work in good faith toward
the cessation of the arms race and toward nuclear disarmament. Since
ratification of the treaty in 1970, US intransigence has been the
primary barrier to its full realization.  If the US is brought into
compliance with its international law obligations, global nuclear
disarmament will instantly transform into a genuine possibility. 

How, Exactly, Will The Hunger Strike Make An Impact? For several years,
the multi-campus UC Demilitarization Coalition has worked on several
fronts to sever the UC's nuclear ties.  We have written letters,
generated petitions, spoken politely during Regents meeting public
comment periods.  We have spoken angrily during public comment periods.
We have held rallies.  We have held press conferences.  We have
protested.  We have dumped paper cranes on the Regents' meeting room
floor. More recently, we have physically disrupted Regents meetings.
Clearly, most "legitimate" channels for trying to change UC policy are
closed to us.  A more drastic action is needed.  The UC demilitarization
campaign has progressed to a point where such an action is possible and
can be successful, particularly in light of the recent creation of a
Student Nuclear Weapons Labs Oversight Committee by the UCSB student
government.  The time is now. 

The UC Regents' next public meeting is May 16-17 at UC San Francisco.
The hunger strike will apply critical public pressure to force the
Regents to consider a resolution to sever ties with the weapons labs.
Any such resolution must stipulate that the Regents withdraw support
from the labs based only on principled opposition to current US nuclear
weapons programs.

The Regents have rarely been more politically vulnerable with regard to
their role as nukes lab managers.  The labs' new hydrogen bomb program
has no technical justification and is clearly contrary to international
law.  It is deeply unpopular even among many long-time nuclear weapons
supporters.  

Hunger strikes have a long history of success at UC campuses. There is
historical momentum on our side.

What Are The Health Consequences of Hunger Striking? By making a few
basic physical and mental preparations, participating in the hunger
strike is unlikely to have any long-term health consequences for anyone
without major existing health deficiencies.  If you would like to
consult with seasoned experts regarding various potential health
implications of your participation, e-mail youth at napf.org or call (805)
965-3443.

Each participant is free to decide the duration and variety of their
fast on an individual basis, or in consultation with other hunger
strikers.  Some participants will fast for a few days; others are
fasting for an open-ended time span.

How Can I Join The Hunger Strike? To participate, please contact
youth at napf.org, call (805) 965-3443, or visit www.ucnuclearfree.org.  If
you don't want to hunger strike but would still like to support this
critical and timely initiative in any way, please contact us.


Will Parrish
Youth Empowerment Director
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
PMB 121, 1187 Coast Village Road, Suite 1
Santa Barbara, CA 93108
wparrish at napf.org
Phone: (805) 965-3443; Fax: (805) 568-0466
www.wagingpeace.org/youth; www.ucnuclearfree.org;
www.thinkoutsidethebomb.org


-----Original Message-----
From: nukenet-bounces at energyjustice.net
[mailto:nukenet-bounces at energyjustice.net] On Behalf Of Roger Herried
Sent: Monday, April 16, 2007 7:58 PM
To: Roger Herried
Cc: nukenet at energyjustice.net; Michael Mariotte; Russell 'Ace' Hoffman
Subject: [NukeNet] AB 719 and new nukes in California is DEAD!

NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet at energyjustice.net)

The California Natural Resources Committee tabled AB 719 today, ending 
attempts to reopen California to nuclear development.

Roger



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