450 ring in New Year with candlelight protest

Jace Radke

Monday, Jan. 3, 2000 | 11:01 a.m.

Instead of being lost in the seas of people on Las Vegas Boulevard and being around the drunken fights and riot gear clad Metro Police, about 450 people chose to participate in a peaceful candlelight walk to protest nuclear weapons.

The candles were a new touch at the annual procession of activists at the Nevada Test Site, about 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas near the town of Mercury.

"It was very beautiful and prayerful," said Marc Page, spokesman for the Nevada Desert Experience. "The lights from the candles stretched for half a mile into the desert."

The Nevada Desert Experience sponsored the event that began with a millennium prayer service at the test site.

"After the service, 310 of us walked across into the Nevada Test Site and were arrested for mass civil disobedience," Page said.

Among those arrested was actor Martin Sheen, and representatives of many religions including Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and Judaism. Protesters came from as far away as Japan and Belgium for the event, Page said.

As the protesters crossed into the test site, they were met by officials from the Nye County Sheriff's Department who wrote them citations.

"This protest has gone on for the last 19 years, so both sides handle things really well," Page said. "They know what we're going to be doing and what they are going to do.

"The citations usually turn out to be worthless and aren't enforced real aggressively."

About 100 of the activists also held a peaceful march and vigil on Las Vegas Boulevard Saturday evening. The group marched from Sahara Avenue down to the Stardust hotel-casino.

Activist Paul Colbert said the group is hoping the new millennium brings an increased awareness about nuclear weapons.

"On the occasion of the turn of the millennium, we denounce nuclear violence and the proliferation of such weapons of mass destruction," Colbert said.