Press Releases & Updates 2001

Three campaigners locked on to each other with D locks across the gateway at 7 a.m. while about 25 others gathered round and displayed placards which read "SHIFT TO PEACE WORK" while two nuns from the Myohoji Buddhist order chanted and beat their peace drums. At about 7.45 a special police team cut the locked-on activists loose and took them into custody. At this point 7 other activists lay down in the gateway. When they refused to move after several police warnings they were arrested. Those arrested were from the Netherlands, Belgium, England and Scotland.

During the blockade activists spoke to the Strathclyde officers policing the event and advised them that under the Nuremberg Principles it was their legal duty to refuse orders from a superior officer which they knew to be unlawful. They were told they should not be arresting people who were actually upholding the law by trying to prevent war crime.

TP pledger David Mackenzie said: "At one point Chief Inspector Bruce told us to get on the pavement and let "normal" people get to their work. Presumably "normal" people are those who tolerate this evil and treat preparations for mass murder as an everyday matter."

Last night Mark Akkerman (21), a student from the Netherlands, was arrested after failing to appear at court. He has been held overnight and will be before the Sheriff in Dumbarton this afternoon.

The action is part of the TP 14-day disarmament camp at Coulport which goes on to the 11th August.

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