Peace pageantry will yield to courtroom drama

Source: Knoxville News Sentinel



Sister Megan Rice exclaims, "Isn't this wonderful!" as she and supporters rally Monday on Knoxville's Market Square before the start of this week's trial. Rice and fellow protesters, Michael Walli and Greg Boertje-Obed, face charges of sabotage and depredation of U.S. government property for the July 28, 2012 intrusion at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant.

Downtown Knoxville was awash with peace pageantry Monday as the federal trial of three Y-12 protesters got under way with jury selection.

Supporters of the self-proclaimed Transform Now Plowshares danced and sang, raised signs and colorful puppets, and eventually made their way from Market Square to the Howard H. Baker Jr. Federal Courthouse, where opening arguments will be heard Tuesday morning before U.S. District Judge Amul Thapar.

There was a party-like atmosphere Monday, but the Plowshares protesters -- Sister Megan Rice, 83, of Washington, D.C.; Greg Boertje-Obed, 57, of Duluth, Minn.; and Michael Walli, 64, also of Washington -- face up to 30 years in prison if convicted on the federal charges of injuring a national defense facility and depredation of government property.

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Read more: http://blogs.knoxnews.com/munger/2013/05/peace-pageanty-will-yield-to-c.html