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Some of those arrested and their supporters after release on March Fourth. |
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At approximately 9:50 a.m. on Wednesday morning March fourth, nine AlliantACTION Vigilers were driven to the front door of Alliant Techsystems Eden Prairie headquarters. Upon exiting the cars, all nine entered ATK's lobby.
Proceeding to the front desk, one of the group asked to speak with CEO Dan Murphy explaining we had a very important document we wanted to share with him. We were told we could not expect to walk into a corporation and think we could just speak to the CEO. We wondered why not? We then asked to speak with General Counsel Senior Vice President Keith Ross or Human Resources Senior Vice President Paula Patineau. And received the same response.
With a cell phone we called ATK from their lobby and asked for Dan Murphy. We were connected to his assistant who informed us Mr. Murphy was traveling and she was not the one who could schedule appointments. The scheduler did not answer the phone when our call was transferred. And we were unable to connect with either of Mr. Ross or Ms. Patineau office before the Eden Prairie police arrived.
A "representative" of ATK then informed our group unless we left, he would have us placed under arrest. Informing him we had an obligation, under the Nuremberg Principals, to be there and deliver our document to company executives, we were not leaving until then.
Pepperwolf and Tom Bottolene, because of an earlier trespass ban, were removed from the lobby, handcuffed and placed in the back of an Eden Prairie squad car. The officer explained it was procedure for anyone place inside their car.
The seven remaining human rights activists, John and Marie Braun; Rita Foster, CSJ; John Hynes; Char Madigan, CSJ; Betty McKenzie, CSJ; and Kathleen Ruona, were then given the opportunity to leave again. As a group they refused until their document was accepted or they had an appointment.
Outside the front door, Ms.Pepperwolf and Mr. Bottolene were having citations written as they sat in the police car. When the process was completed, both were released to walk off the property to a group of supporters who were waiting nearby.
Inside the two story lobby and under a sculpture of three spirals depicting the path of bullets and missiles flying through the air (as explained on a plaque), the seven were first issued a trespass ban for Alliant's property and then issued a trespass citation. When all had been cited, they were released to supporters waiting at the companies front door in cars.
A "settlement hearing" has been set for September 2, 2009 at 10 AM at Hennepin County District Court Ridgedale (google map).
A jury trial date has been set for September 8, 2009 in Hennepin County District Court Downtown Minneapolis.
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