Press Releases & Updates 2000

Caroline Lucas, a member of the Parliament’s Peace Inter-Group, will face arrest when she blockades the base with supporters of CND and the Trident Ploughshares group next Monday February 14. The action is being taken following recent court rulings stating that nuclear weapons are illegal under international law. The protestors will be pleading they have "reasonable cause" and a legal duty to prevent work at the base should the police decide to arrest them. But Dr Lucas intends to add further weight to the protesters’ case by citing parliamentary privilege.

She will be at the demonstration alongside expected attendances by Green Member of the Scottish Parliament Robin Harper, Irish Green MEP Patricia McKenna and eight other MSPs and MPs. Traditionally members of parliaments have avoided joining hands with such nonviolent direct action campaigners because they can lay themselves open to criticism that the makers of laws should not break them.

"This issue doesn’t apply in this case," said Dr Lucas. "It is widely agreed that the possession of weapons of mass destruction is immoral, but recent court decisions have found that such weapons are against international law. That means they are also against UK law. These legal decisions clearly demolish successive government claims that they can maintain these horrific weapons and obey the law.

"I’ve agreed to join CND and Trident Ploughshares and risk arrest in this campaign because it is time the British government owned up to the fact that its possession of nuclear weapons is illegal. These weapons provide no protection for us, since they cannot be used without inviting an attack by similar weapons from an opponent. Not only do they not promote peace, they encourage other nations to develop similar weapons of mass destruction as they feel threatened.

"I will be risking arrest on Monday in solidarity with other parliamentarians, church ministers and many committed activists. We are looking forward to the issue of the illegality of nuclear weapons being further considered by the courts."

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