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.