At about at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, 12 participants in an organized protest near Bath Iron Works were taken into custody and charged with the crime of Obstructing a Public Way, a Class E offense.

Those arrested were protesting on the corner of Washington and Spring streets. The protesters were from Maine Veterans for Peace and the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space. They were protesting an event at BIW for the christening of the USS Monsoor, a DDG 1001 Zumwalt Class Naval Ship, being built at the shipyard.

During their protest, the group went onto Washington Street and blocked pedestrian and vehicular traffic in front of BIW’s South Gate. The protesters were given a lawful order to leave the roadway, but they remained. They were told that if they remained, they would be arrested. The group sat down in the roadway and remained there until they were taken into custody one at a time by Bath police officers as well as Sagadahoc County sheriff’s deputies.

Those arrested were transported to the Bath Police Department and booked. They were released on personal recognizance bail.

They were all given a court date of August 2, when they are to appear at the West Bath District Court in West Bath at 1 p.m.

All were cooperative throughout the arrest and booking process. Arrested were Richard Lethem, 83, of Bath; Dudley Hendrick, 74, of Deer Isle; Bruce Gagnon, 63, of Bath; Russell Wray, 61, of Hancock; Tarak Kauff, 74, of Woodstock, New York; Joan Peck, 69, of Brunswick; George Ostensen, 61, of Hope; Jason Rawn, 42, of Lincolnville; Cynthia Howard, 69, of Biddeford; Constance Jenkins, 68, of Orono; John Morris, 79, of New Gloucester; and John Peck, 75, of Brunswick.