Press Releases & Updates 2002

Daniel Werges (28), from Germany, but currently working as a disability rights worker in Bradford, was charged with breaching the peace at the blockade of Faslane last October. After thoroughly cross-examing the police witnesses Daniel himself took the stand. The court granted his request to be excused from raising his hand when giving the oath, as it reminded him of the Nazi salute. In his summing up he said that his grandparents’ generation had been guilty of genocide but Trident also was a genocidal weapon and in maintaining it and threatening to use it the UK government was guilty of a flagrant illegality.

Justice of the Peace Fraser Gillies, the Helensburgh magistrate least popular with anti-Trident campaigners on account of his perceived bias and complacency, found him guilty and gave him the relatively high fine of £180.

Meanwhile, in the same court, Danish activist Ulla Roder, presently remanded to Cornton Vale prison, had yet another trial, this time on a charge of malicious mischief for cutting two fences at the football pitches inside Faslane in November 2000. Ulla was perfectly upfront about her intentions. She had been on her way to the Trident berths to carry out disarmament work on one of the submarines. Trident was a war crime and she was justified in what she had done. She was found guilty and in addition to a fine of £180 she was ordered to pay compensation amounting to £543 (plus VAT) for the damage to the fence.

Ulla will appeal the compensation order. On a number of occasions now, following appeal, the Scottish High Court has reduced the fines imposed by JP Gillies and on one occasion over-ruled a compensation order.

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