Brattleboro, VT -- Seven women of the Shut It Down affinity group of Citizens' Awareness Network took the floor in the Windham County Courtroom One on Tuesday, June 19 to publicly explain their demands to close the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant.

Informed that charges of trespass and disorderly conduct against them had been dropped by State's Attorney Dan Davis, the seven demanded that the court hear their statements.

"We deserve to have the charges against us heard," said Hattie Nestel of Athol, Massachusetts, who led the women from the courtroom's spectator area toward the judge's bench, which Judge Katherine Hayes immediately vacated.

Shouting "Get back! Get back!" several court officers blocked the women's access to the area between counsel tables and the judge's bench. State's attorney staff still at the prosecution table also fled the courtroom as the women insisted on being heard.

Nestel contended that failure to hear the charges violates the women's right to due process. "Take it up with the state's attorney," said a court officer. "You have no business here."

Approximately 15 spectators remained in court as the women read statements condemning the Entergy Corporation, which operates the power plant, and the governments of Vermont and the United States for deceiving taxpayers about dangers and hidden subsidies.

Court officials milled around during the women's 10-minute recitation, punctuated by demands to shut down Vermont Yankee. Some officials listened to the demands while others ignored the women and carried on conversations as if nothing were happening.

Members of the Shut It Down affinity group have acted five times at Entergy Headquarters in Brattleboro or at the Vernon plant to urge the shutdown of the nuclear plant. They have spray-painted danger signs on the Entergy driveway, deposited effigies at the main Entergy sign, and attempted to chain shut the doors of the Entergy headquarters. On each occasion, they were arrested and charged with trespassing or disorderly conduct and ordered to appear in the district court to answer the charges. In every instance, the state's attorney ordered that charges be dropped.

The women said they decided to act to call attention to "collusion between the state's attorney's office and the Entergy Corporation."

"We will take this up with the state's attorney," the women of Shut It Down vowed as they left the courtroom. They have made plans to contact him soon.

[Editors' note: The activists sent Peacework a copy of their letter to the State's Attorney's office on 6/28/07. At press time, they had received no response from Dan Davis, Esq., Windham County State's Attorney, 185 Main St., Brattleboro VT 05301-2842.]