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luke
Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Location: by the sea
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 Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 10:10 pm Post subject: Trident protest ends in wave of arrests |
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Trident protest ends in wave of arrests
by DANIEL COYSH (Morning Star)
"POLICE arrested over 160 peace protesters yesterday as they marked the end of the year-long Faslane 365 campaign at the Scottish nuclear submarine base.
A Big Blockade outside the gates of the base saw over 500 activists descend on the site, which is home to Britain's US-franchised weapons of mass destruction.
Organisers vowed to mark the occasion with "colourful, creative and dramatic actions" at the base.
Coachloads of people started arriving shortly before 7am, when they were greeted by massed ranks of police.
Many protesters started blockading the main entrance by gluing themselves to the road outside, chaining themselves together and to the fence. Others blocked the A814 to Garelochhead.
Police moved in quickly and had made 94 arrests by 10am. Witnesses spoke of a "continuous" stream of people being carried off by teams of officers.
Strathclyde Police said that 71 men and 97 women had been arrested by mid-afternoon.
During the Faslane 365 campaign against the Trident nuclear weapons system, some 940 arrests have been made.
A recent report showed that the cost of policing the base had exceeded £5 million.
Faslane 365 said that the Reverend Chris Howson from Bradford, Rev John Webster from the Iona Community and Glaswegian pensioners Marly Harvie and Sally Beaumont - both aged 73 - were among those held yesterday.
Scottish Green Party co-leader Robin Harper MSP was among the first to arrive at Faslane on Monday morning.
"The use, the threat of use and the planned replacement of Trident are all illegal," he said.
"We should take a lead in fighting the wars of this century - the war against poverty, injustice and environmental destruction - not spend £25 billion on weapons of mass destruction aimed at civilians."
Mr Harper said: "Trident is not wanted by UK citizens and I support this protest against Westminster's increasingly disastrous foreign and defence policy."
Former Scottish Socialist Party MSP Rosie Kane, who has previously been arrested for blockading Faslane, said: "I've always come to the protests for over 10 years and will continue to do so.
"It was never more important than it is now when the Trident upgrade is on the table, but we are pushing at an open door. We have never been better placed to stop the upgrade.
"If the First Minister and SNPs put their money where their mouth is, the upgrade is going to take a long time.
"Nuclear weapons are pointless, useless, expensive and dangerous and Scotland is on the map as an aggressor because of them," Ms Kane added.
Other politicians from across Scotland, including MSPs and MEPs, also attended the blockade.
Despite the police's behaviour, Scottish National Party First Minister Alex Salmond officially backed the protest.
In March, MPs backed the Blair government's plans to renew Britain's nuclear arms - an issue reserved to Westminster.
The SNP administration in Scotland opposes any such renewal and number of its MSPs joined Monday's demonstration to show their support.
Glasgow SNP MSP Sandra White said: "I congratulate all those who have taken part in the Faslane 365 campaign this past year and been arrested for blockading the base.
"This is the most important event in the Scottish calendar this year because we can no longer afford, both morally and financially, to have these weapons of mass destruction on our shores."
A spokesman for the base claimed that the protests had not had an effect on the main operations and people inside.
"The protests have lasted these last 12 months, but everyone in the base believes in democracy too," he declared." |
you ever been to faslane faceless? |
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faceless
admin
Joined: 25 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 10:50 pm Post subject: |
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I DJ'd at a party up there once and was invited to stay, but decided against it. I know quite a few of the people that live there though and I've always admired them for it.
There's a tree planted there by some of the survivors of the Nagasaki bomb - that brought it home for me more than anything. |
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faceless
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Joined: 25 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 5:29 pm Post subject: |
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www.theherald.co.uk/news/focus/display.var.1727521.0.0.php
The comments on the story are worth a read - if only to see that the idea of people protesting against WMDs are 'tree-hugging, unwashed dope smokers' is still alive and well in the lexicons of the self-righteously indignant minority... |
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luke
Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Location: by the sea
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