At about 11:30 am Israeli time, the five members of the Catholic Worker Peace Team (Ken Hannaford-Ricardi, Brenna Cussen, Lisa Guido, Grace Ritter, & Scott Schaeffer-Duffy) joined hundreds of Vanunu supporters outside the gate of the Ashkelon Prison as Mordechai Vanunu emerged from 18 years in jail. Longtime Voices in the Wilderness activist Ken Hannaford-Ricardi sent the following description:

Roughly two hours ago, after vigiling for three hours, we witnessed Mordecahi Vanunu’s release from Ashkelon Prison. While we were at Ashkelon yesterday (Tuesday), counter demonstrators were few. Today, they were many and their aggression (some would say violence) escalated as the morning progressed.

About 150 of us stood behind police lines holding banners and signs. During the vigil, eighteen doves were released, one for each year of Vanunu’s imprisonment.

As the counter demonstrators increased in number, so did their aggression. People stood inches from our faces, yelling and shaking their fists. They hurled abuse and raw eggs at the pro Vanunu vigil which included Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Maguire, two Episcopal bishops, two members of the British parliament, a member of the Israeli Knesset and activists from around the world. Nick Eoloff, Vanunu’s adopted father, was hit by an egg. Some of the peace signs were torn as was one banner, but no one was injured. Police had to wedge their way between our two groups, and they gradually moved the protestors across the street and into the prison driveway. Press numbered in the hundreds.