Press Releases & Updates 2001

In the early hours of this morning, Rachel Remnant, 21, a zoology student at Liverpool University and Marcus Armstrong, 41, a peace and community worker from Milton Keynes swam into Faslane Naval Base, under the security boom and to the side of one of the Trident submarines. The MOD have previously claimed that this was impossible. They were apprehended whilst painting "ILLEGAL" on the side of the submarine.

Vigils were held at 8:15am, the time that the bomb was dropped. In Glasgow, Trident Ploughshares, Women in Black and Faslane Peace Camp met in George Square, before leading a ’funeral’ style procession to Kelvingrove Park in order to replace the plaque marking a commemorative tree planted by Hiroshima victims. Simultaneously, other Trident Ploughshares held a silent vigil at the gates of the Coulport warhead depot, and two arrests were made as activists blockaded the base, attempting to prevent the morning shift entering the base.

During the day, there were three separate fence cutting actions at Faslane and Coulport, leading to nine arrests. Five of those involved at Faslane entered the base and remained at large for up to two hours.

The bombing of Hiroshima by the USA at 8:15am on 6th August 1945 killed 140,000 people, caused horrendous injuries and deformities in survivors and serious congenital damage. The UK maintains an arsenal of about 200 nuclear warheads, each one of these 7 1/2 as powerful as the Hiroshima bomb. Activists make the direct link between active deployment of Trident nuclear armed submarines and the preparedness of the British government and military to commit atrocities worse than the Hiroshima bombing, and that the threat or act of this is criminal under international law.

The Trident Ploughshares 14-day disarmament camp at Coulport runs until the 11th August. There have been 45 arrests so far during the camp, and three sea actions against Trident submarines. Advance notice can be given of an action at 4pm on Wednesday 8th August. This will be a bright and colourful ’disco’ action at Faslane North Gate. Other actions will also take place this week.

Printer friendly version

Home | Top