Pilgrim protesters go back for more
Lillia Frantin of North Falmouth leads a group of protesters Wednesday
onto the grounds of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth.
Cape Cod Times/Christine Hochkeppel
PLYMOUTH — Two protesters were arrested at Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station on Wednesday about an hour after a judge dismissed charges against them and nine others accused of trespassing during a demonstration there in May.
Paul Rifkin of Cotuit and Michael Risch of Falmouth, both defendants in the case stemming from the previous protest, were among several people arrested around 1:30 p.m. Barely an hour earlier in Plymouth District Court, Judge Kathryn Hand had dismissed the May trespassing charges against all 11 defendants.
"The Pilgrim nuclear plant is a danger to all the people within a 50-mile radius," Rifkin said in an interview Wednesday morning before the noon hearing for those arrested in May. "They can dismiss the case, but they can't dismiss the issue."
On May 20, Plymouth police arrested 14 protesters who walked onto the grounds of the power plant, attempting to deliver a letter to Entergy Nuclear, the company that owns the plant. The letter came in the wake of the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant in Japan.
Many of those arrested are associated with Cape Downwinders, an anti-Pilgrim group that says the plant is unsafe and should not be licensed.
Three people accepted a deal with prosecutors, but the others pushed for a trial.
Wearing a shirt and tie under a blue sweater, Rifkin, 70, blended in with the 10 other defendants. The group looked like old friends attending a high school reunion as they greeted each other with smiles and pats on the shoulder in the court foyer Wednesday morning.
The benches in the small third-floor courtroom were packed with defendants and supporters. They opposed Assistant District Attorney Joshua Gedraitis' motion to dismiss the trespassing charges.
Gedraitis said the office of Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz lacked the resources to prosecute the trial, which could take a week. The defendants were nonviolent offenders without serious criminal records, Gedraitis said.
He added that the defendants wanted a trial to further their political agenda, and the district attorney's office did not want to take part.
But Richard Latimer, an attorney representing some of the defendants, argued that a public trial was the only way his clients could effectively reach the public.
"The fact that there is a political agenda, a public policy agenda, is not a reason to allow the commonwealth's motion to dismiss; it's a reason to deny it," Latimer argued.
Before dismissing the case, Hand allowed defendants to address the court.
John Hopkins, who represented himself in court, said his actions came out of his belief that the plant posed a danger to people on the Cape and in Plymouth County.
"As a 64-year-old man, I don't commit a crime lightly," Hopkins said.
But Joyce Johnson's statement took on a more defiant tone, when she said she would continue to fight against the Pilgrim plant, no matter what.
"Nuclear power should be on trial," Johnson said.
After hearing from many of the defendants, Hand dismissed trespassing charges against all of them.
The energy level rose as defendants and supporters made their way to the parking lot, using smartphones and iPads to look up the plant's address. They were headed there to demonstrate again.
"Hey, Paul, you got bail money?" Risch shouted to Rifkin in the parking lot as people negotiated carpools to the plant.
By about 1 p.m., about 30 people had gathered in front of the Stony Hill Road entrance of the plant. They held signs equating the plant to Fukushima Dai-ichi and chanted "Shut it down!" and "Close the plant!"
After a while, the group marched past the gates and onto the property with Rifkin, Risch, Susan Carpenter of Orleans, Elaine Dickinson of Harwich, and 36-year-old Ben Almada of Manomet — who came along after reading about the protest on the Internet — vowing they would leave only in a police cruiser.
Protesters were met by security guards dressed in black — one holding a large automatic rifle — who told them if they did not leave the property, they would be arrested.
Plymouth police arrived soon after and dispersed the crowd, except for a few who were arrested.
Diane Turco, one of the demonstrators, said that all five people who intended to get arrested were.
Plymouth police Capt. John Rogers confirmed that five people were arrested, but would not say who.
In an interview, Entergy spokeswoman Carol Wightman said the protesters had a right to their opinion, but trespassing causes security issues.
"Pilgrim station security takes its responsibility for security very seriously," Wightman said. "We respect the demonstrators' right to make their opinions known, but when they resort to trespassing, then it becomes a police matter."
After Judge dismisses the case, Pilgrim 14 arrested again
DA didn't have resources to try the case
Paul Rifkin arrested again at Pilgrim Nuclear plant.
File photo from his previous arrest last May for the
same offense.
File photo from his previous arrest last May for the
same offense.
Pilgrim 14 case throw out
Several return to power plant and get re-arrested
The DA didn't want to spend time and money on a trial, and after hearing the defendants promise to keep on protesting, Assistant District Attorney Joshua Gedraitis made a motion to dismiss the trespassing charges.After listening to the defendants promise to keep on protesting, Plymouth District Court judge Kathryn Hand dismissed the trespassing charges against all of them.
http://www.capecodtoday.com/article/2013/03/14/17619-after-judge-dismisses-case-pilgrim-14-arrested-again
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