Biography
Michael Siptroth is an activist documented in Nuclear Resister’s reporting on protest arrests.
On 2026-08-09, Michael Siptroth was arrested at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor. Arrested and cited during a nuclear-disarmament blockade on August 9, 2026. The report does not give a jail interval or final disposition.
On 2025-08-11, Michael Siptroth was arrested at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, Washington. Cited and released at the scene during the Hiroshima/Nagasaki remembrance blockade.
On 2025-05-10, Michael Siptroth was arrested at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, Washington. Cited and released at the scene during the Mother’s Day nuclear-disarmament demonstration.
The July 2025 Ground Zero newsletter individually names Michael Siptroth among the eight May 10 Mother’s Day blockaders at Bangor. All were cited for pedestrians on roadways under RCW 46.61.250 and released at the scene. This confirms the existing same-day case and does not establish a served day or overnight imprisonment. Source: https://www.gzcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/July-2025-newsletter-for-website.pdf#page=3
The October 2017 Ground Zero newsletter names Michael Siptroth among fourteen roadway protesters arrested at Bangor on May 13, 2017. All were released in less than an hour; the threatened weekend in jail did not occur. No full day of imprisonment is inferred. Source: https://www.gzcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/October-2017-newsletter-for-web-2.pdf#page=4
The October 2014 Ground Zero report identifies Siptroth as a war-tax resister and organizer. It reports a $25 fine at the July 25 mitigation hearing before Judge Marilyn Paja for his May 10, 2014 Mother’s Day protest. A fine is not a jail term. Source: https://www.gzcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/October-2014-newsletter-for-website.pdf#page=2
Ground Zero’s October 2024 report individually names Michael Siptroth among the August 5, 2024 Bangor roadway protesters cited by Washington State Patrol for being pedestrians in the roadway. The citation does not establish jail admission, overnight detention or a complete day of imprisonment. Source: https://www.gzcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/October-2024-newsletter-for-website.pdf#page=2
For the separate May 12, 2024 Mother’s Day roadway protest, the October newsletter reports a $25 fine at August 13 mitigation before Judge Pro Tem Kyle A. Joyce. This is distinct from his May 2014 prosecution. Source: https://www.gzcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/October-2024-newsletter-for-website.pdf#page=2
Verified detail sources (October 9, 2026, peace-activist review): Ground Zero Center’s direct account of Michael “Firefly” Siptroth’s peace-art exchange uses he/him. Its separate court report names the same Michael “Firefly” Siptroth in a Bangor protest case. The pronouns used for a judge in that court report are not treated as biographical evidence about Siptroth. Source 1. Source 2.
Identified photograph added October 12, 2026: Ground Zero Center's October 2024 newsletter, page 2, identifies Mack Johnson on the left and Michael ‘Firefly’ Siptroth on the right, practicing before the nonviolent action. Credit: Daniel Felde / Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action. The original embedded photograph is reproduced unaltered, retaining both people and the surrounding context; Siptroth is the kneeling man on the right wearing a straw hat. No open-license claim is made. This image documents August 2024 preparation, not his 2014 arrest; no case dates were inferred from it.
Separate 2015 episode added October 12, 2026: Ground Zero Center's April 4, 2016 Bangor Eight trial report explicitly names Michael Siptroth among the defendants who crossed onto Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor on August 10, 2015, were charged and released that day, and were convicted and sentenced on April 1, 2016. All eight received one year of probation and 100 hours of community service. No prison term or separate jail-admission date is inferred. This episode is distinct from the existing 2014, 2025 and 2026 cases. Same-day custody is not automatically counted as a full day of imprisonment.
The July 2018 Ground Zero newsletter individually names Michael Siptroth among ten people briefly detained by Washington State Patrol during the Mother’s Day antinuclear demonstration at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in May 2018. Officers issued citations for pedestrians being on the roadway unlawfully and released them. The source gives no exact arrest day, jail admission or measured confinement duration. Its twenty-minute roadway blockade is not treated as custody time. This was a separate action from the later Bangor cases.
The account individually names Michael Siptroth among the demonstrators removed from the roadway by Washington State Patrol officers at Bangor on 2023-08-07. The reported citation was Pedestrians on roadways (RCW 46.61.250). The account explicitly reports release at the scene or after citation on that date. No jail admission, imposed prison term or full day of imprisonment is established by this report.
The account individually names Michael Siptroth among the demonstrators removed from the roadway by Washington State Patrol officers at Bangor on 2023-05-13. The reported citation was Pedestrians on roadways (RCW 46.61.250). The account explicitly reports release at the scene or after citation on that date. No jail admission, imposed prison term or full day of imprisonment is established by this report.
The account individually names Michael Siptroth among the demonstrators removed from the roadway by Washington State Patrol officers at Bangor on 2022-08-08. The reported citation was Pedestrian on roadway illegally. No jail admission, imposed prison term or full day of imprisonment is established by this report.
The account individually names Michael Siptroth among the demonstrators removed from the roadway by Washington State Patrol officers at Bangor on 2022-05-07. The reported citation was Pedestrians on roadways (RCW 46.61.250). The account explicitly reports release at the scene or after citation on that date. No jail admission, imposed prison term or full day of imprisonment is established by this report.
The account individually names Michael Siptroth among the demonstrators removed from the roadway by Washington State Patrol officers at Bangor on 2021-08-09. The reported citation was Pedestrians on roadways (RCW 46.61.250). No jail admission, imposed prison term or full day of imprisonment is established by this report.
The account individually names Michael Siptroth among the demonstrators removed from the roadway by Washington State Patrol officers at Bangor on 2021-05-08. The reported citation was Pedestrians on roadways (RCW 46.61.250). The account explicitly reports release at the scene or after citation on that date. No jail admission, imposed prison term or full day of imprisonment is established by this report.
The account individually names Michael Siptroth among the demonstrators removed from the roadway by Washington State Patrol officers at Bangor on 2019-08-05. The reported citation was Pedestrians on roadways (RCW 46.61.250); Failure to disperse (RCW 9A.84.020). The account explicitly reports release at the scene or after citation on that date. It names him as Michael “Firefly” Siptroth and describes a second roadway entry and citation that morning. No jail admission, imposed prison term or full day of imprisonment is established by this report.
The August 2012 Ground Zero account individually lists Michael Siptroth among sixteen people cited during the August 6 roadway blockade at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor. Washington State Patrol processed the participants at the scene for walking on a roadway where prohibited and released them. This citation account does not establish a separate prison admission or an overnight jail stay.
The August 2018 roundup identifies this activist among twelve cited for being in the roadway unlawfully during the August 6 Bangor blockade. Washington State Patrol officers removed them from the road and released them at the scene; the weekend witness does not establish a multi-day custody interval. Contemporary report, The Nuclear Resister.
The contemporary Bangor Eight trial report individually identifies Michael Siptroth among the August 10, 2015 trespass defendants, all released the same day. On April 1, 2016 Judge David W. Christel found all eight guilty under 18 U.S.C. § 1382 and imposed one year of probation and 100 hours of community service each. These penalties were not imprisonment.
