Four Plowshares activists led by Philip Berrigan entered an Air National Guard base in Essex, Maryland, in late December to disarm A-10 Warthog aircraft—such as were used to fire depleted uranium (DU) ammunition in Iraq and Kosovo. DU has been linked to illnesses and birth defects among civilians and even U.S. soldiers who have been exposed to the toxic dust it disperses upon impact.
After hammering on the planes’ huge Gatling guns, which can fire up to 3,900 DU rounds per minute, and pouring blood into their engines, the four were arrested and charged with trespassing, destruction of property, and burglary.
A statement released by the group expressed their hope "to embody Isaiah’s vision of a disarmed world where hearts are converted to compassion and justice and weapons are converted to the tools of peace."
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