Devonport

» Photos from the camp in 2004

The third annual Trident Ploughshares Disarmament Camp set up with amiable relations between protesters, police liaison and Plymouth City Council who served notice to quit Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. The Council said they will be pleased if the site could be left as it was last year we could not tell you had been here.

Thursday 27th

A number of protesters attended the public meeting at Swarthmore on Thursday evening where they were pleased to hear the great majority of politicians acknowledge that the work on nuclear submarines at Devonport Dockyard is more of a liability than an asset. There was a very well-informed audience who demanded more for the people of Plymouth in redevelopment and consultation.

Friday 28th

Thirteen women from all corners of Devon who were dressed in white performed a simple ritual at the camp on Friday. They invoked many qualities including compassion, protection, strength, remembrance and wisdom. All thirteen flowed while singing down to the Camel’s Head gate and inside the main gate they danced and sang of the times of change they were bringing. Police reinforcements soon arrived but the women were able to dance and block the entrance to the base for ten minutes. At that point they chose to move away into a well placed concrete traffic circle where they were able to complete their songs and release dove feathers to the breeze into the dockyard. One feather was presented to one of the group of security and police.

There was a benefit gig with Seize the Day at the Cooperage on Friday evening.

Saturday 29th

Campers leafleted Plymouth city centre to raise awareness of the dangers, immorality and illegality of the Trident nuclear weapons before gathering on the Hoe at 1:00 p.m for the anti-nuclear demonstration organised by CND.

A few hundred protesters marched through the centre of Plymouth demanding Trident be scrapped. They represented Trident Ploughshares, CND groups from Plymouth, Penzance and Exeter, Unison, Respect, the Green Party the Raging Grannies from Exmouth, and others. They marched through the crowded city centre with many bystanders showing support. The march then proceeded to Albert gate with a dramatic presentation of polluted Tamar mud and a letter to the Comadore of Devonport dockyard. Protestors heard a speech from Kate Hudson, chair of CND and a long term resident of Devonport. There were bands playing in Devonport park to end the successful event and information stalls available for more detail about the work of the groups.

Sunday 30th

The camp has been busy in the last few days with more than forty people taking part in workshops, the multi-faith event and preparation for the flotilla on Monday. The workshop with Captain Jonathan Castle, Gijs Thieme and Ludger Pfanz, film maker, on the events surrounding the occupation of Brent Spar was very inspiring showing a turn about in policy by Shell and the British government ten years ago due to direct action and public opinion.

The multi-faith event enabled a circle of twenty people to share some inspired messages of peace from a gathering in Baghdad on March 17, 2004. Then individuals offered songs, music, readings and thoughts which reflected our hopes and vision for the future. These we left at the Drake gate of Devonport dockyard and two women presented the text and wild flowers to the base commander.

Monday 31st

Monday was the day for water-based actions. Two boats first went out to the beginnings of the Trans Atlantic race - waved the flags, flew the banners. There was no negative response from any boats, In fact positive, thumbs up and waves and shouts of support.

Boats then went back to where the other six boats were assembled and for about 3 hours sailed up and down the Hamoaze - the Dockyard occupies about a mile and a half of the waterfront on the eastern side of the river. Protestors waved our peace flags, flew banners and ended by dropping four wreaths into the river off the Dockyard for all the victims - past, present and future. The wreaths had been made at the camp from some of the surrounding vegetation. Other campers hung banners on the Torpoint Ferry and leafleted / demonstrated on the shore. There was the usual heavy police (civilian and military) presence and no direct action was attempted.

Background

Plymouth UK is the home to Devonport Dockyard which is the base for the MoD’s illegal Trident Nuclear Submarine Refit Programme contracted out to DML, a subsiduary of the US Haliburton consortium. Devonport is also a base for Hunter Killer nuclear submarines with the conventional cruise missile capacity used on Iraq last year.

Further to this, four obsolete nuclear submarines are stored at Devonport, on the River Tamar, with plans to store more obsolete nuclear submarines to cut-up at the Dockyard as a part of the MoD’s Interim Storage Of Laid-Up Submarines (ISOLUS) Programme.

Plymouth is becoming the most nuclear ridden city in the world as all of this highly dangerous work is being carried out in the heart of the city, thus placing the lives of 270,000 plus citizens at risk as well as affecting nearby smaller towns such as Torpoint and Saltash etc. SCRAP TRIDENT SAFELY.

Thursday 27th May - Setting Up Camp and Election Forum at Swarthmore Hall 7-30 pm, Mutley Plain in the Evening

Friday 28th May - Trident Ploughshares Benefit gig with Seize The Day plus reggae and local support at the Cooperage from 9 pm to 2- am tax £4-00.

Saturday 29th May - CND National Demo from Plymouth Hoe To Devonport Deckyard with a rally of speakers and music in Devonport Park afterwards. Street theatre with The Theatre of War

Sunday 30th May - Multifaith Service at the Drake Gate at 2-30 pm

Monday 31st May - River Demo On the River Tamar, where Devonport Docyard is. Participants please contact Peter Bouquet on 01822 832549 or peter.bouquet@lineone.net for tide times and mooring suggestions. Land-based supporters are advised to meet in Devonport Park at 1.30pm

Tuesday 1st June - Mass Blockade of the Dockyard Gates from 6-30 am.

Plus workshops and direct action throughout the camp... Legal support for camp participants will be availabe.

View the full programme for the camp For more information on the Devonport camp contact Claire on 0845 4588363 or Sandra on sandranarcho@yahoo.co.uk. See also http://www.nuclearfreeplymouth.org.uk

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