About 30 arrested in protests at nuclear weapons plant in Oak Ridge

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. - About 30 protesters were arrested for trespassing or obstructing a highway during a demonstration against nuclear weapons production in Oak Ridge. <br> <br> Department of Energy security officers arrested four people on federal trespassing charges Sunday after they crossed a barrier in front of the Y-12 plant. They each face up to a year in jail and $100,000 in fines. <br> <br> Nearly 30 others were arrested by local police on charges of obstructing a public highway and disobeying police. In the past, protesters have been arrested only on city charges, carrying $50 maximum fines. <br> <br> Protesters linked arms and blocked the road that runs in front of the plant, but none were arrested until marchers moved into a busy intersection. <br> <br> Tim Mellon, 46, one of the four arrested on federal charges, said the demonstrators want their cause heard at a jury trial. <br> <br> &#34;They are taking this to a higher level, and that&#39;s fine,&#34; Mellon told The Knoxville News-Sentinel. &#34;That&#39;s what we wanted.&#34; <br> <br>