Press Releases & Updates 2002

Four activists were arrested this morning at the Coulport Armaments Depot on the shores of Loch Long in Scotland, where Trident warheads are stored and loaded on to the nuclear weapon submarines. During a vigil at the main gate of the depot Joy Mitchell (67), from Berwick, Joan Meredith (73), from Malpas in Cheshire, Eric Benner (21), from London and Andrew Kieran from Faslane Peace Camp sat down in the roadway, blocking the entrance to the base. All have now been released after being charged with a breach of the peace.

The demonstration was part of the disarmament camp currently being held at Coulport. In the first week of the camp there have been 46 arrests of people who have blockaded the gates to the nuclear bases at Coulport and Faslane, cut perimeter fences and, most notably, painted the word "Vile" on both flanks of a Trident submarine inside its high security berth at Faslane.

Meanwhile activists involved in a previous protest at the Faslane base were on trial today in the local court. Francesco Iannuzzelli (35), a software engineer from London and a representative of the Italian disarmament network Peacelink and Sue Brackenbury (26), a full time disarmer from Ayrshire, were found guilty in Helensburgh District Court of a breach of the peace for taking part in the October blockade of Faslane and fined £150. Francesco made the point that his protest had been peaceful. Indeed, as a newcomer to the campaign he had gone to considerable lengths to check out the nonviolent credentials of Trident Ploughshares and had been impressed with the care taken through training and preparation to ensure that the gentle ethos of the protests was maintained. His action was not a breach of the peace, it was a "breach of war".

David Mackenzie said: "This week’s court experience has shown again that the outcome of cases involving protesters in the courts that are local to the Clyde Trident bases is a lottery, given yesterday’s acquittal of Brain Brown by Sheriff Fitzsimmons and today’s return to the usual fare from Justice of the Peace Viv Dance. The pathetic failure of the British courts to take account of the violence of the state as the context for our actions must and will be challenged."

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