Protesters target missile sites
Nun supporters rally near 49 underground silos across N.E. Colorado
Post / Catherine J. Jun
People gather at a missile silo near New Raymer, in northeastern Colorado, to protest prison sentences given Friday to three nuns.

By Annette Espinoza, Denver Post Staff Writer
STONEHAM - A caravan of sport utility vehicles with miniature black missiles on top barreled down Interstate 76.

A banner surrounded by women proclaimed, "You can't hug your children with nuclear arms."

Men, women and children wearing white hazmat suits lay on the hot gravel and formed a human peace sign.

The groups spread across the barren plains of northeastern Colorado on Saturday with hundreds of others to protest in front of 49 underground Minuteman III missile sites.

The mass protest was organized by more than 35 peace activist groups to support Dominican nuns Ardeth Platte, 66, Carol Gilbert, 55, and Jackie Hudson, 68, who were sentenced to prison Friday.

The nuns were convicted of damaging property, obstructing national defense and interference for cutting a fence at a Weld County missile silo, smearing their blood on the silo's lid and hammering on railroad tracks at the site.

Platte received 41 months behind bars, Gilbert, 33 months, and Hudson, 30 months. They each faced a maximum of 30 years in federal prison.

"It was one of the most unjust sentences of our time," said protester David Silver, a Boulder physician. "They were clearly involved in a symbolic action."

Silver, a member of the Free Range Theater in Boulder, and his group spelled out the letters "WMD" (weapons of mass destruction) with replica missiles on the gravel driveway leading to missile silo site N5 west of Stoneham.

They wore white masks, marched in circles around the fake missiles and chanted.

Other nun supporters included Magdalena "Mag" Seaman, 77, a member of the Raging Grannies of Denver who traveled to the northeastern plains with seven members of her group.

"The sisters are trying to save the Earth for the rest of us," Seaman said.

Seaman said she has protested at the missile silos before and began protesting back in the 1960s during the Vietnam War. On this day, the Raging Grannies sang in front of their adopted missile site, known only as N4.

Despite threats by some protesters that they were planning to get arrested for civil disobedience, the event was peaceful, and no one was jailed.

In fact, all Weld County sheriff's Cmdr. Bill Spalding had to do was visit with protesters at various silo sites and offer them water.

"We're just making sure everyone stays hydrated and (watches) out for rattlesnakes," Spalding said.

Organizers of the protest were surprised to see so many people travel to Weld County to support the movement.

"I'm amazed at the turnout," said Cynda Collins Arsenault, a member of a group called Code Pink Colorado.

Arsenault said she thinks the media hype over the arrests and sentencing of the nuns drew the huge crowds to the silo areas Saturday.

"People couldn't believe we would be locking up nuns," she said of the government.

After protesting at the missile sites, the crowds gathered at Stoneham's small community center, where they ate, sang, chanted and performed theater.

For Greg and Kymm Ciccin of Golden and their 3 1/2-year-old daughter, Mekayla, the event was a family experience.

"This is not her first protest, and it's not going to be her last," Kymm Ciccin said.