Special agent says Y-12 intruders entered from north, cut fences, activated alarms

Three activists opposed to nuclear weapons pose with banners before their July 28 arrests at the Y-12 National Security Complex. From left to right, the three are Michael R. Walli, Megan Rice, and Greg Boertje-Obed. (Submitted photo)

The three anti-nuclear weapons activists arrested in a high-security area at the Y-12 National Security Complex on July 28 allegedly entered from the north, crossed Bear Creek Road, cut through fences, and activated numerous alarms and sensors before they reached a uranium storage building, according to criminal complaints available online today.

The three activists—Greg Boertje-Obed, Megan Rice, and Michael R. Walli—first crossed a boundary fence near the North Patrol Road on the north ridge of Y-12, U.S. Department of Energy Inspector General Special Agent Eric Dugger wrote in an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Knoxville on Friday. That fence has “No Trespassing” signs posted, he said.

Boertje-Obed, Rice, and Walli then allegedly traveled up a partly wooded hill to reach another boundary fence, this one on the north ridge, Dugger said. He said the three activists then walked about 600 meters to the first eight-foot-high fence that is part of the perimeter intrusion detection and assessment system, or PIDAS.

“Their path would have crossed over Bear Creek Road,” Dugger said. That road runs from the east end of the plant to the west. It is often traveled by employees and passes within about 150 yards of the uranium storage building, the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, or HEUMF, Dugger said.

Boertje-Obed, Rice, and Walli allegedly cut through that first PIDAS fence with bolt cutter tools, prying it open and crawling through, Dugger said.

“While traveling between the fences, Walli, Boertje-Obed, and Rice activated numerous alarms and sensors,” he said.

At the next PIDAS security fence, they again allegedly used bolt cutter tools to cut and damage the fence, again prying it open and crawling through, the affidavit said.

“When cutting the fence, they also severed alarm wires,” Dugger said.

They allegedly repeated that process a third time, cutting, damaging, and entering through the last PIDAS security fence into the Protected Area on the west end of Y-12.

Once the three alleged intruders reached the HEUMF, they “maliciously defaced and injured” it, spray-painting it with phrases: “Woe to the empire of blood,” “The fruit of justice is peace,” and “Plowshares pleases Isaiah,” Dugger said.

They also allegedly threw blood on an exterior wall and left many empty containers and trash on the ground outside the building, he said.

When arrested near the end of their early-morning intrusion, the three activists had flashlights, binoculars, two sets of bolt cutter tools, three hammers, six cans of spray paint—and a Bible, Dugger wrote.

They also had red “danger” tape, a backpack, candles, flowers, seeds, plastic zip ties, matches, gloves, a “Plowshare” banner, bread, and copies of a letter, Dugger said.

That letter said: “We come to the Y-12 facility because our very humanity rejects the designs of nuclearism, empire, and war. Our faith in love and nonviolence encourages us to believe that our activity here is necessary; that we come to invite transformation, undo the past and present work of Y-12; disarm and end any further efforts to increase the Y-12 capacity for and economy and social structure based upon war-making and empire-building.” It was signed by Boertje-Obed, Rice, and Walli, Dugger wrote.

Boertje-Obed, Rice, and Walli have been charged with misdemeanor trespassing and felony property destruction and are scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Knoxville at 9:30 a.m. Thursday. Rice and Walli were released from the Blount County Corrections Facility on Friday and are reportedly staying at a home on Martin Mill Pike in Knoxville until Thursday.

Boertje-Obed waived his right to a detention hearing and remains jailed in Blount County.