Press Releases & Updates 2003

Barbara Sunderland (73), from Henlow in Bedfordshire, took part in the protest at Faslane on 5th August 2002 during the two-week Trident Ploughshares disarmament camp. She had scarcely sat down in the gateway to the base with another woman when she heard an officer say "Arrest these two!"

Explaining why she had taken part in the protest Barbara said that as a Roman Catholic she was obliged to obey the command: "Love God and one another". She was a member of the Adomnan affinity group - named after the 7th Century Scottish monk who had drawn up an early code for the protection of civilians during conflict.

Her training in civil defence had shown her the devastating effects of nuclear weapons dangers of which she was acutely aware since nuclear weapon convoys regularly passed near her home. Following a challenge from the Procurator Fiscal, Justice of the peace Fraser Gillies asked her to restrict her remarks to matters "relevant to the charge". She was also cut short during her summing up when referring to the threats to use Trident in Iraq, issued by British Defence Minister Geoff Hoon.

Trident Ploughshares comment:

"Any unbiased person in the court yesterday would have been hugely impressed by the way Barbara conducted her case. Her defence was to the point and she dealt with the nonsense of the court with considerable dignity and good humour. It’s a sad reflection on this court and this JP that people who were before court yesterday for genuinely abusive, disruptive and threatening behaviour got lesser fines than Barbara, who would not hurt a fly and whose only crime was to take a stand against Britain’s weapons of mass destruction."

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