Press Releases & Updates 2001

Six activists, working in three teams of two, during the night approached the high security fence at the Coulport base, where the warheads for the Trident missiles are stored. Two of them, Ludwig Appeltans, from Gent in Belgium and Harriet Jones (20), from London, were able to cut their way through the fence and it was six hours before the Ministry of Defence police were able to apprehend them on the inside. The activists, who are still in custody, aimed to explore the high security area with a view to further action.

David Mackenzie said: "In spite of heightened security during our camp, in spite of all the patrols and the high-tech surviellance, we are still able to penetrate the bases’ defences. This is down to our determination to expose this country’s ongoing nuclear crime."

Meanwhile two campaigners, Ulla Roder (45), from Odense in Demark and Dave Rolstone (55), a boat builder from Pembrokeshire, set out to swim across the Gareloch towards the Trident berths in Faslane. They were about 200 metres from the boom which protects the berths when they were intercepted by an MOD marine patrol. They were not arrested but told to swim back across the loch.

Yesterday evening the camp commemorated the bombing of Hiroshima in a moving ceremony on the shore of Loch Long. After a vigil they floated candle lanterns out to sea in memory of those who died and suffered. The bobbing lights drifted northward towards the nuclear weapons base.

Today Marcus Armstrong and Rachel Remnant appear in Helensburgh District Court after their dramatic swim into Faslane on Sunday night when they painted on the hull of a Trident submarine. The camp continues until Saturday and has so far led to 53 arrests.

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