The Trial of the Avco Plowshares(1986)

movie - first aired/released 1986-01-01 - 63 min

Documentary

Directed by John Reilly, Julie Gustafson

In July 1983, seven United States citizens entered AVCO Systems Division, a manufacturing plant for MX and Pershing II missiles in Wilmington, Massachusetts. They threw blood on blueprints and computers to protest the buildup of nuclear arms. AVCO PLOWSHARES documents the ensuring trial, which includes dramatic testimony on civil disobedience and the question if a greater moral imperative exists beyond the letter of the law. Acting on their own behalf, the defendants argued "the justification defense" to claim their duty as citizens to warn of impending nuclear threats.