(AP) BRATTLEBORO, Vt. — A 93-year-old anti-nuclear activist was among more than 130 protesters arrested at the corporate headquarters of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant on the first day of the plant’s operation after the expiration of its 40-year license.

Frances Crowe, of Northampton, Mass., said she wants Vermont Yankee to cease operations because she feels it’s a threat to the people who live nearby.

“As I was walking down, all I could think of was Fukushima and the suffering of all the people, and I don’t want that to happen to New England,” Crowe said, referring to the Japanese nuclear reactor damaged last year after an earthquake and tsunami.

When asked how many times she’d been arrested, she answered: “Not enough.”

A heavy police presence and ropes blocked off access to the offices in Brattleboro during Thursday’s protest. The arrests were made calmly and without any confrontation, with obvious signs that protesters and police had worked out the logistics beforehand.

Brattleboro Police Chief Gene Wrinn said in a statement that more than 130 people had been arrested for unlawful trespass. He said after being processed, they were later released.

A company spokesman said work continued as normal at the plant 10 miles south in Vernon.

“We greatly appreciate the backing of our supporters and respect the rights of opponents to peacefully protest,” said a statement issued by company spokesman Larry Smith. “Inside the gates, our employees will not be distracted. As it is every day, their focus on safety will be laser sharp.”

A crowd estimated at more than 1,000 gathered in a downtown Brattleboro park before they marched the 3 1/2 miles to the headquarters. Some marched on stilts. Others with painted faces carried signs that read “hell no, we won’t glow.” Many chanted: “Shut it down.”

READ MORE

Related articles

• 130 Arrested At Vermont Yankee Protest (huffingtonpost.com)
• ‘Hell no, we won’t glow’: 130 held at anti-nuke protest (usnews.msnbc.msn.com)
• Dozens arrested in Vermont Yankee anti-nuclear protest (climate-connections.org)