Press Releases & Updates 1998

Australians brother and sister Jens and Anja Light were among four peace activists arrsted today for cutting their way into Faslane nuclear submarine base with the intention of disarming trident warheads. With them was Trident Ploughshares 2000 co-ordinator Angie Zelter, who was one of the four women found ’not guilty’ of £3 million damage to a Hawk plane in 1996. Their action brings the total number of arrests since August 11 up to 100.

The four disarmers were arrested at 1.30 pm after spending over 30 minutes inside the base between the security fence and ’razor wire’ while the police used an angle-grinder to open the fence and remove them. They have been charged with ’malicious mischief’ and are currently being held at Strathclyde district police station.

They are among 97 Ploughshares activists committed to continuing their peaceful and accountable actions of civil disobedience until the British Government upholds its commitment to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), signed in 1968, and recognises that their nuclear policy violates international humanitarian law according to the ruling of the International Court of Justice in July 1996.

"We hope the British government is starting to understand our determination to disarm Trident. The international media is following this event closely and we want to remind the Government that they should take this opportunity to be world leaders in the disarmament process. If countries like Britain don’t take take the initiative to disarm we will all be locked in the deadly and expensive arms cycle forever," said Anja and Jens earlier today.

Meanwhile a Swedish Church minister was released at Dumbarton Sheriff Court after breaching his bail conditions on 3 occasions by breaking into the Trident base. During each arrest minister Fredric Ivarsson wore his dog collar and carried a bible. Other members of the Corpus Christi group, Klaus Engell and Petter Joelsson carried a hammer and bolt cutters. Bringing a message of peace the Swedes say they will continue their actions until the British government realises that "stockpiling nuclear weapons is no solution to the threat of world conflict, all countries must learn to negotiate with respect and love."

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