Press Releases & Updates 1999

Rosie James and Rachel Wenham from the Aldermaston Women Trash Trident affinity group swam 300 metres through cold filthy water at Barrow dockyard to board HMS Vengeance. They hung a banner on the conning tower which read "Women Want Peace", painted the words ILLEGAL DEATH MACHINE and peace / women’s symbols on the hull and smashed testing equipment on the conning tower.

The three other women were informed by the police that their friends had been arrested, and so took them some food and dry clothing to Barrow Police Station. Then they were arrested! The police lied about this in court and implied they had been in the shipyard, and so all have been jointly charged with criminal damage to the submarine to the value of £25,000.

All five women were held in solitary for over 15 hours until they appeared at Barrow Magistrates on Tues afternoon. The women would like to thank the supporters from Barrow who were in court and took stuff to the police station, and to those who sent them nice messages.

Four have been bailed, but Rachel has not. She has been remanded to Risley, until next Monday (8th Feb).

The other four have horrendous bail conditions which are - until we can appeal for variation - not to go within one mile of any nuclear base in Britain; to be at home (curfew) between 11pm and 7am and to report to their local police station 3 times a week! Pleading will be on 4th March 1999. There will be a bail hearing on Monday 8th Feb 1999.

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