BATH

On Saturday, more than two dozen protesters gathered in front of Bath Iron Works to demonstrate against the production of military vessels at the shipyard. The protesters walked from Union Street down to the corner of South and Washington, where they distributed leaflets to workers departing the shipyard.

“I have been coming out to protest militarization of our foreign policy, our urban streets and our countryside ever since the early ’60s, and I feel that it’s really essential that American people who feel troubled by what’s going on in this country speak out against the military industrial complex,” said Richard Brown Lethem of Bath. “BIW is our local Maine provider of heavy military equipment — that’s why we’re here. We think that this facility, which we applaud because it employs so many people, should be producing peacetime goods.”

Lethem, a Korean War veteran and member of Veterans for Peace, called for the shipbuilder to cease the construction of military equipment and instead build commercial goods, such as train cars. Others pointed to the building of parts for the solar and wind industries as a potential direction for BIW.

“This is an amazing facility with incredibly skillful individuals, and we’d like to see their skills put to better use. We have more than enough power to reduce the world to sand. To keep producing these machines is not in our best interests,” said Joan Peck of Brunswick.

“For me, it’s a question of our national budget — where the priorities lie? They tilt lopsidedly toward major defense contracting. It’s indecently large,” said Joan’s husband, John. “One can see the justifications made by our defense elite and governing circles, but it holds less and less water given our domestic needs in any number of sectors.”

John Peck noted that he hopes “the mainline workers at BIW and those in management with an ear” hear their message of peace. Both Lethem and the Pecks were arrested in June with nine others while protesting during the christening of the Zumwalt-class destroyer PCU Michael Monsoor. The self-proclaimed Zumwalt 12 pled not guilty to charges of obstructing a public way in August, and plan to take the trial as far as possible.

“Not to be difficult, but there’s so few ways to get your voice heard in a way that people, you hope, will listen and not just discard as being hysterical,” said Joan Peck.

The vigil coincided with the Keep Space for Peace Week, an international protest against military equipment in space. While protesters were directly demonstrating for the conversion of BIW to build non-military products, they were also standing in solidarity with protests around the world. “Stop the militarization of space,” read one sign at the BIW vigil.

Following the vigil, protesters gathered at the Neighborhood Church for a potluck lunch and statements from the Zumwalt 12.

• SATURDAY’S VIGIL at Bath Iron Works coincided with the Keep Space for Peace Week, an international protest against military equipment in space.