Anti-nuke protesters convicted in break-in at Navy sub base

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Seven Roman Catholic activists have been convicted of federal crimes for breaking into a Navy submarine base in Georgia to protest nuclear weapons.

The defendants face potential sentences of more than 20 years in prison after being found guilty Thursday of trespassing, destruction of government property and other counts in U.S. District Court in Brunswick.

Prosecutors showed the jury videos the activists took of themselves using wire cutters to enter a locked security gate at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base on April 4, 2018. Inside the base, they spray-painted anti-nuclear messages and hammered on an outdoor display before being arrested.

Defence attorneys argued in pretrial hearings that the activists shouldn’t be prosecuted because they acted on sincere religious beliefs. The judge ruled they couldn’t use that defence at trial.