Anti-nuclear group demonstrates at federal building

Wednesday, Sept. 9, 1998 | 9:10 a.m.

Reinard Knutsen, 33, and Susi Snyder, 21, were protesting planned subcritical nuclear weapons tests at the Nevada Test Site, 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

"We are saying to the U.S. government 'Don't be hypocritical, stop the subcritical,' " Ms. Snyder said before climbing the building.

Knutsen and Ms. Snyder are members of the Shundahai Network, which wants all subcritical tests canceled.

"These subcritical nuclear weapons tests each leave pounds of highly radioactive material dangerously close to Southern Nevada's largest underground aquifer already contaminated by past underground nuclear tests," the group said.

About two hours after Knutsen and Ms. Snyder climbed atop the building, firefighters were able to get the protesters down. Metro Police arrested and charged them with two misdemeanors each of disturbing government property and disobeying direction during a demonstration. They were later released.

The Department of Energy contends the tests are essential to the nation's program to maintain the safety and reliability of the nuclear weapons stockpile in the absence of underground nuclear testing.