Nuclear Test Foes Denied Permits for Nevada Protests
The government will no longer issue anti-nuclear test demonstrators permits to gather at the Nevada Test Site in protest of U.S. testing, the Department of Energy announced Tuesday.
“The decision is based on the increased violations of laws and the rising costs of protesters’ road blockades and other so-called acts of civil disobedience,” said agency spokesman Jim Boyer.
Boyer said that permits are not needed for demonstrations beyond the boundaries of the Nevada site.
The parking and demonstration area, called Camp Desert Rock, is located at the intersection of Mercury and Airport roads on the test site.
Nancy Hale, a spokeswoman for American Peace Test, which has organized a number of anti-nuclear demonstrations at the test site over the last two years, said the department’s action would not deter the anti-nuclear movement.
“It’s just curious that they established a forum for public demonstrations (at Camp Desert Rock) and then when the public began using it, they closed it down,” she said. “It is somewhat inconsequential to APT, since the last three protests--including the one Feb. 5 that attracted between 1,500 and 2,000 people--were conducted without permits.”
Hale said the major reason for seeking permits to demonstrate at Camp Desert Rock is safety.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
