Six peace activists were arrested this afternoon at the gate of Hanscom Air Force Base in Lincoln, Massachusetts as they protested the the role of the base in nuclear war planning.

Hanscom is the location of the Program Executive Office (PEO) for Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3), which seeks to improve the communications system that would be used by U.S. forces in a nuclear war.

“The money being poured into the ‘NC3’ program are an early warning sign that the government is abandoning any pretense that the U.S. seeks arms control or nuclear disarmament and is rather preparing for nuclear war with Russia, China, or both,” said Dr. Jonathan King, a board member of Massachusetts Peace Action, at the protest.  “The money being spent on nuclear annihilation could fund free college and free health care for every American,” he continued.

About 40 activists organized by Massachusetts Peace Action assembled at the Minuteman Statue where they participated in a flashmob in which they were “frozen” for two minutes. They then walked from Lexington Battle Green to Hanscom.