Seven women were arrested for non-violent civil disobedience at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant on September 21. The reactor is three miles from Massachusetts and a stone's throw from New Hampshire.

The protesters were Nina Swaim of Sharon, Vermont; Martha Hennessey of Weathersfield, Vermont; Paki Wieland and Frances Crowe, both from Northampton; Hattie Nestel and Marcia Gagliardi from Athol, Massachusetts; and Ellen Graves from West Springfield, Massachusetts.

“Power plant, state, and federal spokesmen have acknowledged radioactive leaks at the reactor that threaten human and environmental safety,” the women said in a statement. They called for Vermont Yankee to be closed immediately and permanently.

Hundreds of people have been arrested for non-violent protests at Vermont Yankee in recent years. Many of the protests were organized by www.NukeBusters.org

"We are here because we feel a responsibility to speak truth to power, for the sake of our loved ones, for our friends, for our communities and for future generations,” the women said.