star wars 17

Civil liberties tried and tested

Last edited 17 April 2002 at 8:00am
17 April, 2002

Star Wars activists and independent journalists walk free

Four Greenpeace activists and two independent journalists who faced felony charges following a peaceful protest against the US Star Wars missile programme last July have walked free from court with varying probationary periods and one sentence of time served.(1)

Fifteen international activists and the two journalists originally faced double felony charges and up to six years in jail, but the felony charges were dropped in January when all 17 pled guilty to a misdemeanour offence of conspiracy to trespass. (2)

Article tagged as: arms race, press releases, star wars, star wars 17, trials, USA

Greenpeace Star Wars protestors sentenced

Last edited 21 January 2002 at 9:00am
21 January, 2002

Nine Greenpeace activists today walked free from court after pleading guilty to conspiring to trespass on a military base, during a peaceful protest against the Star Wars missile defence programme last July.

All nine were given one year probation. No fines were imposed, and all are free to return home. Each of the defendants presented powerful statements to the court prior to sentence, outlining their moral and legal objections to the programme in Los Angeles this morning.

Article tagged as: disarmament, nuclear, peace, press releases, star wars, star wars 17, trials

Star Wars activists still defiant on US missile defence

Last edited 18 January 2002 at 9:00am
18 January, 2002

Greenpeace activists who face jail over a peaceful protest against the Star Wars missile defence programme in the United States, have peacefully and lawfully returned to the military base to re-state their opposition to the programme.

While still awaiting sentencing, activists gathered at the front gate of Vandenberg Air Force Base holding banners that read "Still Protesting Star Wars".

Article tagged as: disarmament, peace, press releases, star wars, star wars 17, USA

Star Wars 17 biographies

Last edited 6 November 2001 at 9:00am

Star Wars 17 biographies

Star Wars peaceful protest

UK freelance photographer:

Steve Morgan, 45
Steve Morgan was in California to document the protest at Vandenberg.

Article tagged as: star wars, star wars 17

Travel restrictions lifted for Greenpeace volunteers and freelance journalist

Last edited 16 October 2001 at 8:00am
16 October, 2001
Star Wars 17Two British volunteers and a British freelance journalist to return home before November Star Wars trial


A Judge ruled today that nine Greenpeace protestors and one freelance journalist, facing felony charges stemming from a peaceful protest against a missile defence test in California on July 14th, can travel home before returning to Los Angeles for trial currently set for November 20, 2001. The two British Greenpeace protestors, Bill Nandris from London and John Wills from Guernsey along with freelance journalist Steve Morgan from Somerset, had been previously restricted to the Central District of California along with six other defendants since July 14th.

Article tagged as: disarmament, peace, press releases, star wars, star wars 17, trials

Star Wars 17 trial rescheduled for 8th January 2002

Last edited 5 October 2001 at 8:00am
Vigil for the Star Wars 17Two UK Greenpeace volunteers - Bill Nandris and John Wills, along with UK freelance photographer Steve Morgan, are among 10 non US nationals who on the 15th October were finally given permission to return home by a US court. They were restricted to central California from July onwards, when they were among 17 charged with "conspiracy to violate a safety zone" at Vandenburg airbase following a peaceful protest against Star Wars.


After a court hearing on the 5th November the Judge in the case granted the defence team request for a delay in the trial, which will now begin on the 8th January 2002.

So far, Bill, Steve and John have spent over a week in a maximum security federal jail and a total of 3 months restricted to central California. They now face an anxious period of waiting before their trial date in the new year.

Article tagged as: disarmament, peace, star wars, star wars 17

Star Wars 17

Last edited 5 October 2001 at 8:00am
Star Wars peaceful protest

Star Wars peaceful protest

The Star Wars 17 are 15 Greenpeace volunteers and two freelance journalists from the United States, UK, Germany, Sweden, Australia, Canada and India.

On 14 July they participated in - or in the case of the journalists, documented - a peaceful protest near Vandenberg Air Force Base, California against the United States' National Missile Defence Programme, Star Wars.

Article tagged as: disarmament, peace, star wars, star wars 17, trials

Greenpeace Executive Director accuses Bush of putting the world's future at risk

Last edited 16 August 2001 at 8:00am
16 August, 2001

Greenpeace's recently appointed Executive Director, Gerd Leipold, today criticised President George W. Bush for putting the world's future at risk with a "truly astonishing policy path that could undo so much progress in environmental protection and world peace".

Speaking at the launch of the organisation's Annual Report, Dr. Gerd Leipold said that in pursuing the Star Wars (missile defence) programme, rejecting the Kyoto climate change agreement and threatening to open the Alaskan Arctic Wildlife Reserve to oil exploitation, President Bush was failing to protect the environment to satisfy his corporate supporters.

Article tagged as: climate change, george bush, gerd leipold, kyoto protocol, press releases, star wars, star wars 17

Greenpeace vigil demonstrates support for "Star Wars 17"

Last edited 14 August 2001 at 8:00am
14 August, 2001
Vigil for the Star Wars 17Seventeen people, three of whom are British Citizens, known as the 'Star Wars 17' were formally charged at a court hearing in the United States on Monday 13th August. Outside the US Embassy in London on the same day, seventeen people dressed in US prison clothing and handcuffed together, confronted the US authorities holding a "Stop Star Wars not Peaceful Protest" banner.


The 'Star Wars 17' face charges that carry sentences of up to six years in prison, following a peaceful Greenpeace protest which delayed a test of President Bush's Star Wars missile system in July(1).

Article tagged as: direct actions, disarmament, peace, press releases, star wars, star wars 17, trials, vigils

September 25th- The date is set to put Star Wars on trial

Last edited 14 August 2001 at 8:00am
14 August, 2001
Star Wars 17Fifteen Greenpeace volunteers and two freelance journalists will go on trial in Los Angeles in just over a months' time. All seventeen are facing charges of conspiracy which could lead to jail terms of up to six years, after the delay in the Star wars missile test launch at Vandenberg Air Forcer Base in California.


The charges have been levelled against the 15 volunteers as well as the 2 journalists, even though the pair were simply documenting the peaceful protest. The trial date has been set for September 25th 2001.

Article tagged as: disarmament, peace, press releases, star wars, star wars 17, trials