Press Releases & Updates 1999

To a hushed court, she said that a likely target for a Trident missile would be Polyarni, a town in northern Russia. Following an attack by Trident the town would be completely flattened and 90% of the population would be killed by heat, falling buildings and radiation. The death toll would probably include 7,000 children.

She had written letters, lobbied, demonstrated, conducted vigils, marched, held public meetings, written briefings and articles, tried to take out private prosecutions and approached the police, courts and Heads of the Justiciary. Along with her fellow pledgers in Trident Ploughshares she had attempted to engage the British government in serious dialogue about nuclear disarmament before the direct action phase of the campaign had begun.

In a climax to her testimony this afternoon Angie read out the Pledge to Prevent Nuclear Crime. She read : "As a global citizen with international, national and individual responsibility I will endeavour peacefully, safely, openly and accountably to help to disarm the U.K. nuclear weapons system .... I pledge that I will harm no living being by any of my acts and pledge to be calm and peaceful at all times."

Meanwhile, another important disarmament trial begins in Preston Crown Court tomorrow Wednesday 13th October. Annika Spalde, Stellan Vinthagen and Ann-Britt Sternfeldt, of the Bread Not Bombs Ploughshares group, are accused of conspiring to cause criminal damage to the new Trident nuclear weapons submarine, HMS Vengeance, in September last year at Barrow. Their original trial in May this year ended when the jury could not reach a verdict.

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