Press Releases & Updates 2001

The four East Anglian activists, Barbara Sunderland (72), Davida Higgin (74), Peter Lanyon (68) and Simone Chimowitz (49), were arrested on Remembrance Sunday last year after cutting their way through the fence in an attempt to carry out a citizens’ inspection of the site, to determine for the public what goes on there.

The four are not disputing the facts of the case but are arguing that their action was justified as a last resort in responding to the threat posed by the illegal Trident nuclear weapon system. The judge has conceded that their cutting of the fence was not a hooligan act - it was clear that they intended to get into the site.

Today the defendants hope to call as witnesses nuclear expert Professor Frank Barnaby and George Farebrother of the World Court Project. Three of the defendants are representing themselves while Simone is represented by barrister Rajiv Menon.

The TP campaign was initiated in 1998. Since then there have been 1350 arrests of its activists, 1351 days have been spent in prison, there have been 171 trials and fines totaling £25,274 have been imposed by the courts. The British government has consistently refused to meet the campaigners to discuss the disarmament of Trident.

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