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Press Releases & Updates 2007
13th April 2007
Two Hour Blockade Shuts Down All Entrances to Faslane Trident Sub Base
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Twenty-two Trident Ploughshares activists using heavy "lock-on" tubes shut down all gates at the Faslane Naval Base on the Clyde today for more than two hours, as part of the on-going Faslane 365 year-long blockade in opposition to the Trident nuclear weapons. In the wake of the government’s decision in March to procure the next generation of Trident, Faslane 365 is determined to keep the pressure on because the Trident nuclear weapons system is illegal and immoral: it should be scrapped, not renewed.
In a coordinated action at 7.15 am, the non-violent activists blocked all three gates to the base by locking on to metal and concrete tubes. MoD cutting teams worked for two hours to remove the protesters, while traffic was completely prevented from entering or leaving the base. A group of eleven people blocked the North Gate. Eight blocked the South Gate and three blocked the smaller fuel depot gate, resulting in all traffic in and out of the base being blocked.
The blockaders came from many parts of the UK and ranged in age from 16 to 78. Shonagh Glen, 25, a resident of Faslane Peace Camp and daughter of Marlyn Glen, Labour MSP said: "Trident is monstrous and we have a legal and moral duty as international citizens to try to get rid of it". Julia Mercer, 56 of Huddersfield, a Mental Health Worker who is taking five months off work to participate in the campaign to stop Trident said: "Trident is an affront to our humanity. Even though Tony Blair has engineered a vote to spend billions on renewing it we still need to keep campaigning against this evil thing." Zina Zelter, 33, a violin teacher from Leicester said "It’s outrageous that the government is planning to replace Trident, and since they aren’t acting responsibly I am forced to take action. Nuclear weapons make the world unsafe. As an individual I will not be part of this."
Amongst the 24 people arrested was Helen Woodcock, 33 of Manchester - recipient of the 2006 International Service Human Rights Award for Defending Women’s Rights.
The Faslane 365 year-long blockade began in October 2006. Thousands of people from as far as Japan and from all sectors of civil society have participated. In recent weeks groups from Spain, Switzerland, Germany and France have blocked the base for as much as three hours at a time.
Trident Ploughshares is a campaign of civil resistance calling for the UK government to begin disarming its nuclear weapons in compliance with international law and its obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. To date Trident Ploughshares activists have spent 2204 days in prison, with 2240 arrests, 520 trials and have had £78,000 in fines imposed on them.
Faslane 365
Last updated: 14th April 2007
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