Hammer of Justice

Nukewatch Quarterly Spring 2016

On the night of December 27, 2015, four Catholic peace activists went to the Northrop-Grumman building in Bellevue, Nebraska, a suburb of Omaha, where one of them, former Des Moines Catholic Worker Jessica Reznicek began a direct disarmament action by taking a sledgehammer and a baseball bat to two huge front windows and a glass door of the building. Northrop-Grumman is one of the primary weapons contractors of the US Strategic Command (STRATCOM), at Offutt Air Force base.

Once inside the building Jessica intended to locate corporate computers, but was unable to do so. She was arrested by Bellevue Police and taken to Sarpy County Jail where she intends to stay until trial. Three others, Frank Cordaro, Michele Naar-Obed, and Mauro Heck were with Jessica in support and taking photographs and were arrested while driving away from site. The three were released on bond, and all four have been charged with felony “mischief” and “burglary.” The charges against Frank, Michele and Mauro were dropped January 26, but Jessica’s charges stand. From the Sarpy County Jail, as part of a statement explaining the action she called “Hammer of Justice,” Jessica wrote: “Yes, glass did shatter. It shattered like the illusion that Northrop-Grumman holds human life in any way in its best interest. It shattered like the illusion Iraq ever possessed weapons of mass destruction. It shattered like the illusion Iraqis were involved in 9/11. It shattered like the lie that perpetual war will ever bring peace. Glass shattered in the name of the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives taken when Northrop-Grumman/Strategic Command-directed bombs from space rained down upon them. I destroyed two windows and a door, yes! STRATCOM with its corporate partner Northrop-Grumman destroys lives in the tens of thousands.”

—JL