Faslane

Yorkshire Campaigners Take Nuclear Base by Surprise

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 10:05:29 +0000

Protesters have managed to close the Faslane naval base in Scotland by surprising the police with a combination of superglue and paint.

7 Protesters from Leeds, Bradford and York were this morning arrested after pouring paint over themselves and super gluing their hands together whilst lying in front of the gates of the base. The glue and paint were used in order to cause maximum delay to the operations of the base.

Faslane is home to the fleet of submarines that carry Britain’s nuclear weapons system, Trident. The system consists of almost 200 nuclear warheads which can be launched from US Trident missiles. They are carried on four submarines and each individual warhead has about eight times the explosive power of the Hiroshima bomb.

Lavinia Crossley from Bradford said; “We have been actively involved in the Faslane 365 campaign to shut down the base. The Big Blockade yesterday marked the end of the official 365 days of the campaign, and we wanted to show the Government that we will not be going away; that Trident replacement is illegal, immoral and dangerous to us all.”

Faslane

Falsane weekend, short report and pictures

ekes — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 13:10:26 +0000

Two minibuses of anti-Trident protesters travelled from York to Faslane on Saturday morning. The group was mainly students as the weekend coincided with the http://www.faslane365students.org/ Stident camp. The journey up heared the reports of the attack on Glasgow airport.

The attack on the airport lead to an undertaking http://www.faslane365.org/en/statement_from_strident_tent_state to not take part in action that would be arrestable and allow police to have resources for the incident. Despite this the MoD police round Colport, where the warheads for Faslane are stored, were on the offensive. As the York minibusses travelled to visit the Student Camp the police pulled them over on some random Road Traffic Act 'spot check'. The main purpose seemed to be warning everyone off from even walking near the base, let alone doing anything. The undertaking was to allow some presence at the gate. After much negotiation the Police a tea party next to the gates did manage to go ahead.

By Monday the police knew that after the undertaking had finished, and they had agreed they had 'plenty of police' to deal with anything, there was bound to be a blockade. They were out in force at both the gates of Falsane. Blockaders from the Student Camp did well with a solid line of police to disrupt the North Gate for over half an hour http://www.faslane365students.org/gallery11.php there were blockades at Colport as well http://www.faslane365students.org/report4.php

York protesters managed to lock on at the South Gate, despite van loads of police waiting. Press release and picture of the blocked road http://york.indymedia.org.uk/node/738 Removal took an hour and a half in which time the gate was closed to all traffic and with the North Gate blockade traffic entering the base was tailing back.

Faslane

Return to Faslane

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 17:57:37 +0000

On 2nd July, 12 York residents were arrested for peaceful blockading of the Faslane nuclear base in Scotland. The action was part of the 'Students Summer Blockade and Strident Tent State' – a week of creative action against the recent decision to spend billions renewing Britain's nuclear weapons. The group included students from York College, York University, York St Johns, and Fulford School, as well as people working locally. This is the second time this group has taken part in Faslane 365, the year long blockade of the trident nuclear missile base. For several people, this was their second arrest at Faslane.

The decision made on 14th March in the House of Commons, means that nuclear weapons and their attendant threats will remain a reality until today's students are in their fifties and sixties. We believe that this decision should be reversed and blockaded the entrance to the base in to demonstrate this. Our blockade prevented traffic from entering the base for one hour and fifteen minutes.

Jonathan Tod Pittam of Fulford School argues:
“The overwhelming majority of young people today oppose the renewal of Britain's nuclear weapons. It is our generation that will have to deal with their effects, wasting billions of pounds that could be spent on the NHS, a potentially devastating terrorist target in our country and an incentive for every other nation in the world to arm itself with nuclear weapons too.”

Wim Standish adds:
“This is why our group took arrestable action in Scotland to try and hinder the activities of the nuclear base. Parliament didn't listen to the generation who will bear the brunt of their irresponsible decision. They decided to disobey international law. By blockading the road and stopping access to the base, we were upholding international law and sent a clear message to government, and to the rest of society, that today's young people are committed to peace.”

This blockade forms part of a year-long protest, Faslane 365, in which civil society groups have daily attempted to block access to the base.

Faslane

Removing a lock-on

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:13:55 +0000

Take some time to consider the problem: As long as you like :)

Get the cast remover out

Next layers get cutting again

More layers: as many as possible

Take a break: especially when you can't get a knife for the next bit

Double pipe construction then: back to the cast saw. How many battery packs is this thing using?!

Don't try and move protestor till both arms free: it may hurt.

Wait for enough officers to carry the protestor

Collect evidence

Gone... but hundreds more to come

Faslane

York Vikings go berserk over Trident

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 11:28:04 +0000

Vikings go berserk over Trident A twelve strong group from York dressed as Vikings has successfully blockaded both entrances to the Faslane nuclear submarine base.

The base is subject to a year long campaign rejecting nuclear weapons and the replacement of Trident in particular. This has attracted international support. Spanish protesters sang, danced and shouted encouragement to York's Vikings as four men and eight women were arrested in the peaceful protest. The co-ordinated action completely closed the base for half an hour.

One of the protesters Richard Lane said "The Vikings slaughtered tens of thousands of people but they did so over half a millennium. Trident could do the same in a minute."

Dave Taylor of York Green Party added "Whatever happened to the ethical foreign policy that New Labour once promised? There is nothing ethical about spending billions of pounds on weapons that the human race cannot afford to use."

Faslane

Yorkshire Anti-Trident Actions

lordrich — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 00:59:52 +0000

With the Government making a decision on replacing the Trident nuclear weapons system, Yorkshire activists have been busy having their say.

Demonstrators from all across the country, including York, made their way to London for a national demonstration on February 24th. The vote date was then announced as being March 14th, and so activity was stepped up a gear with Leeds Quakers joining a larger group of Quakers, including four from York, in a blockade of Faslane on March 3rd/4th/5th.

About 40 people held a Meeting for Worship outside Faslane nuclear base. After this 10 Friends were arrested whilst upholding Peace Testimony by non-violently blocking the road. All protesters were subsequently released with the usual warning letters.

Then on March 11th/12th Leeds University sent a small group up to Faslane. But despite these small numbers and the wet weather, a very visible presence was maintained on both days.

On the day of the vote, a number of actions were called for across the country, including a rally in Bradford and a benefit gig in York. The Bradford rally saw the samba band play, the usual speeches from politicians and then sitting around watching the results of the vote on the big screen.

A group of around 50 campaigning Vikings from York plan on visiting Faslane on March 18th and welcome more people to join them. The group will include residents and students alike. One Viking described the planned blockade as a "peaceful and playful act of resistance".

Faslane

York Quakers Arrested in Blockade at Trident Submarine Base

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 14:02:58 +0000

Quakers at Faslane
Ten Quakers from Britain and Ireland, including two from York, David Corry, 71 and and Ruth Corry, 70 of Friargate Quaker Meeting at York were arrested at Faslane Naval Base on Sunday March 4th as a protest against the planned replacement of Trident.

The group held a peaceful Meeting for Worship outside the gates to Faslane, witnessing to their hopes for a world at peace. The ten were arrested after 40 Quakers invaded the road for a fifteen minute Peace Witness which included singing “Walk in the Light”.

Participants ranged in age from 16 to 75 and included civil servants, probation officers, students, architects, teachers, poets, brushmakers and tax consultants. There were four from York, Martin and Jenny Biggs, as well as the Corrys. Bright yellow umbrellas spelt out the message Quakers Say No Trident. Quakers, one of the peace churches, maintain that a just and lasting peace cannot be achieved by violence or the threat of violence. They are dismayed by the double standards of politicians who deplore violence on our streets, and say they are concerned about climate change, but are prepared to threaten indiscriminate mass murder and risk environmental catastrophe.

Helen Leach, from Leeds, said I feel compelled to be here because I’m a Quaker; and if you want to live in peace, you must do something about it - however small it may be.

Ruth Corry said “As a grandmother I want to make a small contribution to the security of my grandchildren.”

Jenny Biggs, from York, said, "We believe that we should respect the laws of the state, but we believe too that our first loyalty must be to God’s purpose."

Faslane

2 more York anti-nuke protesters arrested

Graham — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 21:12:15 +0000

Update: All those who took part have now been released, 24 hours earlier than expected.

Update: Rachel and Ceri are confirmed as being in Clydebank Police Office. Unlikely to be released before Monday lunch.

Two more people from York have been arrested at Faslane nuclear submarine base in Scotland as part of the Faslane 365 series of blockades. With the government expected to publish a white-paper on replacing Trident in just two days time, Rachel and Ceri, dressed as Mary and Donkey, lay in the road outside the base.

Obviously the Donkey was stocked full of lock-on equipment, and the police took some time to separate the two, before dragging them off for questioning. They're being held at Clydebank Police Station and will probably be released Monday Morning. They were taking part in a blockade to mark the start of Advent, coordinated by radical Christian group Prayer-i58.

A York-specific group will be blockading sometime in February or March, and there'll be a meeting at York Uni (Vanburgh V045) on Thursday 7th December with people telling their stories and a film showing from a previous day-long blockade. All are welcome, whether you want to go, or are just curious about the whole project.

Faslane

York People In Faslane Blockade

lordrich — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 14:05:02 +0000

December 3rd Newsflash: Another 2 York People were arrested yesterday at Faslane, and have now been released. There will be a Faslane Film showing at York University this Thursday.

Britain’s Trident nuclear defence system is nearing the end of it’s lifetime and will need decommissioning, replacing or extending within the next few years. A decision to replace Trident would cost well over £40 billion and would keep nuclear submarines in Scotland until at least 2055. It has recently been reported that Tony Blair backs a Trident replacement and wants a Parliamentary debate on the issues to take place quickly. Union leaders from Amicus and GMB are expected to support him.

Early last Thursday, 6 York residents joined around 50 Anti Nuclear protesters from Leeds and Bradford to form a mass blockade of Faslane Nuclear Naval Base in Scotland. Twenty seven of the protestors were arrested for their part in the blockade, which included locking on to a giant CND symbol outside the main gates of the base.

Meanwhile, a larger group from York is planning on visiting Faslane together with many other groups from across the country. As part of this they are hosting a film showing on December 7th.

Faslane

Eye-witness Faslane Account

Graham — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 17:13:20 +0000

I got to Scotland on Wednesday 15th November, met up with some friends who were already in Scotland and then headed to the church hall where I stayed the two nights I wasn't in cells. With less than 12 hours to go before we would attempt to mount our blockade, we sat down to discuss recent days activity at the base and to decide what would be the best tactic for us to use.

We agreed to head of before sunrise, get to the base at around 7am and blockade at about 7:45, having given the police a chance to mistake us for an advance party. Unfortunately, the police figured where and how some of us were carrying our lock-on devices and started arresting people almost immediately. Realising we'd be depleted too soon if we didn't, the signal was given and we all shot forwards. Unfortunately, my group weren't close enough together to connect ourselves together. Also, I'd been struggling to keep the ends of my chains inside my sleeves, and now they wouldn't come out fast enough!

At this point, the group with our wonderful CND symbol managed to push there way into the road and get locked on. They didn't quite manage to block the line of cars trying to get into the base, but it did take the police some time to get the people out from it; not least because they wanted to photograph every possible angle of it to see exactly how it had been made.

Having failed to get my padlocks attached, I was lifted (several attempts) onto the pavement, and then lifted/thrown into the waiting minibus. The police have yet to use real police vans for transferring people to police stations on Faslane 365, but our blockade was met with something else altogether excessive: hand-cuffs. Of the 250 people arrested before us, no one had been cuffed, yet the group of police we encountered seemed in two minds whether or not to cuff people. The 4 officers with me debated at some length whether or not to cuff me and at least one person was cuffed because another officer told their officers he thought it was silly not to. Three people had marks the following evening, 36 hours after it had happened.

At this point we were driven the short distance to the holding area, and then "cautioned and charged" before finally being driven to the police stations where we'd be kept (it took nearly 2.5 hours to get from the gates of Faslane to the cell). Men to Dumbarton, women to Clydebank. Curiously, men were put into cells of 3 while women were kept in solitary confinement. The police tried to the usual tricks like asking people for their place of birth, occupation, etc. (don't give them this). I suddenly panicked when they removed my belt, but thankfully my trousers stayed up!

Anyhow, the food wasn't desperately bad, we were allowed to use the loo in a spare cell instead of our own, and our guard the following morning was a very nice chap who chatted with us and even gave us a choice of lunch options! I'd slept most of the previous afternoon, but apparently the guard at the time was not so nice. I chatted with my cell mates, read my book (seems you can often take one in with you) and slept for most of the time.

Anyhow, we were kept until about 3pm the following day (time is an odd concept when they've taken your watch!) and then released with a letter from the procurator fiscal's office (Scots equiv of CPS). When we met up in the foyer of the police station we had hugs, chocolate and photos. I, like most of the people to go to Faslane so far, now have my letter on my wall like a certificate!

The letter basically says "You've been reported to me for Breach of the Peace and there's enough evidence to bring a case, but on this occasion, we're letting you go free. Next time you might not be so lucky." This would be slightly more worrying if it wasn't for a friend who's now got two copies of this letter, or the report that someone else has earned a grand total of 3 so far!!!

A big thanks to the legal support and media teams who backed us up all of the way. It might not have been the most traumatic arrest experience in history, but being my first it was good to have people around who could handle things for me.

I'd thoroughly recommend the experience to anyone. If you can't face getting put in a cell, then go as a legal observer, other people will appreciate your effort so much! York F365 will be taking a group in February sometime (dates TBC) and the blockade will go on till next September. Blair will be trying to push through a hasty decision over the next few weeks or months, trying to commit us to another 3 decades of nuclear tyranny; we must stop him!

Faslane