How Creative Mass Non-Violence Beat a Nuke
How Creative Mass Non-Violence Beat a Nuke and Launched The Global Green Power Movement
by Harvey Wasserman, photographs by Lionel Delevingne. Published on Sunday, May 13, 2007 by CommonDreams.org
Thirty years ago this month, in the small seacoast town of Seabrook, New Hampshire, a force of mass non-violent green advocacy collided with the nuke establishment. A definitive victory over corporate power was won. And the global grassroots “No Nukes” movement emerged as one of the most important and effective in human history.
To read the whole article, view the photographs click this blue link:
June 14th, 2007 at 10:17 am
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nancymintie May 13th, 2007 1:56 pm
This is a great example (one of many in history) of how the “small” actions of a multitude of common people can bring down a powerful system such as the nuke industry. The cumulative effect of the actions of many individuals operates as a colony of termites does, “chewing” away at the base of the power structure until it crumbles. This is reason for great hope and encouragement for all of us who are trying to build a better world.
June 14th, 2007 at 10:18 am
# NMBill May 13th, 2007 2:23 pm
Ditto! We understand more about the cause behind the problems. We know of better solutions.
We won’t be lied to!
June 14th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
AdeleTheCzech May 13th, 2007 4:59 pm
While the Seabrook protests were going on, the Long Island Lighting Company was building the Shoreham nuclear reactor. From the day they broke ground, many small groups formed to fight this enormous threat to our island.
We had important technical help from the Union of Concerned Scientists, but they suddenly switched all their efforts to the Seabrook fight. (It took me years to forgive them.) Long Island’s only major newspaper, Newsday, constantly used its editorial page to characterize us as Luddites and to sing the praises of “Atoms for Peace.” A terrible blow came when the Nuclear Regulatory Commission allowed LILCO to power the plant up to 5%, making it radioactive.
By this time all the small groups had coalesced into an umbrella organization, and demonstrations and arrests occurred with increasing frequency at Shoreham. We also sent letters to every police station and fire department on Long Island, pointing out that although evacuation was impossible in case of a meltdown, they would be forced to deploy along the highways instead of taking care of their own families.
It took us eight years of struggle to close the plant, and more time to move the fuel rods safely off Long Island. We were not rich, influential or high-profile people, just ordinary folk with iron determination. Despite that fact that we were up against the NRC and the entire political power structure in New York State, we prevailed! The victories against Seabrook and Shoreham are my inspiration when I think of the current political battle to get a Manhattan Project going for clean, renewable energy.
June 14th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
nancymintie May 13th, 2007 11:37 pm
Way to go Adele! It’s wonderful to hear about the Shoreham story as well!
June 14th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
David Slesinger May 13th, 2007 11:45 pm
Thanks Sluggo. Wonderful memories. That picture is a favorite of mine.
Chuck Matthei told me that the Commandant of the NH National Guard told him than he originally had been angered to be pulled away from his personal life to deal with the protest, but after witnessing Chuck’s fast, he was glad to have had the experience.
I thought Souter was assistant AG with Thomas Rath the AG.
This is the anniversary of our great victory, the 77 action. I was in the Manchester Armory for a week.
We also had a very sad moment the next year. Nearly 5000 people had been trained to do civil disobedience at Seabrook on June 24. The CD was called off against due process 2 weeks before the action and replaced with a fine legal rally. As a now longtime practitioner of nonviolent civil disobedience, I am not as sure that decision is what deserves criticism. The State of NH had privately threatened violence.I prefer to criticize the superficial understanding so many Americans have of nonviolence. Nonviolence doesn’t mean no one gets hurt. It means WE the protesters don’t hurt anyone.
The next time you see the phrase “peaceful protest”, realize the reader has been set up to blame the protesters for any future police violence. The term should be “nonviolent protest” and American activists should realize it is a dynamic process rather than a static label.
June 14th, 2007 at 9:52 pm
jungleboy May 14th, 2007 3:31 am
You all are so great. Protest is what we need, but for what? The time is close. The cause is almost in reach. The majority is awakening. The students are a lot…dumber. We must get there. The TVision is scattered, unorganized, blurred behind many doors of injustices. Our focus, this time must be concise, yet broad. Like “tverrorism”, like “accountabilitvy”. Yet based on reality, not like the right hand watching the left hand stealing. Like health care, this problem is system wide. I’m at a loss as to what to fight for, impeachment is just the tip of it. Corruption is driving our whole world sour and how can do real good without giving loopholes to our “terrorists”? Socialism? What? The media is a hard thing to fight today. Its hard to have a protest with out people, thinking people.
June 14th, 2007 at 9:52 pm
Julian C. Holmes May 14th, 2007 11:56 am
Harvey Wasserman has a loyalty to the ordinary working people of our Country — a loyalty that renders readers everlastingly grateful that there really are a few writers we can trust. For starters, read his “History of the United States”, published first in 1972 — with an Introduction by another celebrated author, Howard Zinn.
Julian C. Holmes, Wayne, Maine
June 14th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
Robbie Leppzer May 14th, 2007 12:52 pm
I am a documentary filmmaker. I have just released on DVD a new digitally re-mastered version of my documentary, SEABROOK 1977. This film chronicles the story of 2,000 members of the Clamshell Alliance, a coalition of environmental groups, attempting to block construction of a nuclear power plant in Seabrook, New Hampshire in May 1977, when 1,414 people were arrested and jailed en masse in National Guard armories for two weeks.
SEABROOK 1977 tells the story of this seminal event of 1970’s environmental activism.
As the Bush Administration is currently pushing for an expansion of nuclear power plants to be built in the United States, the experiences of 1970’s anti-nuclear activists are more relevant than ever.
“SEABROOK 1977 is an invaluable historical document.”
—Howard Zinn, author of A PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES
For more information, visit: http://www.turningtide.com/SEABROOK.htm
Robbie Leppzer
robbie@turningtide.com
June 14th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
Craigfish May 15th, 2007 11:32 am
I remember being a member of Mobilization For Survival and a subscriber to New Age Magazine and East/West Journal, and reading about Seabrook and Harvey Wasserman. Harvey never gave up or went to sleep or transplanted himself in New York or California to retire with the other aging activists to spend his days sipping wine and reminiscing about past glory. HE and Bob Fitrakis are two of the brightest minds in Columbus today, and I’ve seen them at rallies and events all over town. I also ran into them at the National Conference For Media Reform in Memphis in January this year.
I recommend subscribing to Harvey and Bob’s publication, Free Press, which does excellent investigative reporting. (Not to be confused with the media reform group.) They’ve covered the gory details of the 2004 election nightmare to a “T”. www.freepress.org
June 14th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
harvey wasserman May 16th, 2007 1:59 am
thanks, everybody, for your great comments. and thank you, commondreams.org, for putting this out there.
we may now have to go back to the barricades to stop this new insane push for nuke power. but we will certainly know how to do it!
come see me at www.solartopia.org!
keep the faith…no nukes/for solartopia
harveyw/sluggo