Faslane Trident Nuclear Submarine Base Blocked by Peace Protesters
see the timeline from the day and main IMC feature.
Indymedia / Camcorder Guerrillas have done a 4½ minute film for the IMC Newsreel
[report | another report | pics | more pics | even more pics | report in german]
Faslane Anti-Nuke/War Blockade
Faslane Nuclear Submarine Base in Scotland was blockaded by campaigners of all ages and from many countries for almost ten hours on Tuesday 22nd April. Starting before 7am the annual big blockade saw over 600 people taking part in the acion, many locking themselves together using chains and plastic tubing as they blocked the access gates of the base. There were over 170 arrests, including seven people arrested during breaches of the base.
Banners were hung on the fences and giant puppets danced in the street to the sounds of a samba band as three different waves of activists arrived at the base. One campaigner said: "This has been a great action with so many people with such a diversity of age, nationality and background willing to put themselves on the line to disrupt these horrifying weapons of mass destruction."
See Full Timeline of events
Faslane Film from day
Collection of 69 pics
Six different sets of pics
More pictures in big file size.
Report / Irish report and pics 2 and 3
Report in german
IMC public access point at Peace Camp (pics)
Peace Protesters still active!
In Scotland anti war actions are still taking place nearly every day, despite the police tactics getting more and more restrictive for the protesters. On Thursday 3rd of april the autonomous demonstration suceeded in blocking an Esso garage for about an hour, following on from the demonstration a week earlier on the 27th of april.On Friday the school students suceeded in blocking the traffic with a sit-in before marching of in a cordon of police to the American embassy. Friday saw also a mass mave-in of posters and postcards as a solidarity action for a protester, who was arrested alongside with others on the anti-war demo the 22nd of march for his design of the American flag.
An anti-war exhibition by local artists also opened on Friday, to be seen untill the 13th of april, in the Roxy Art House.
On Saturday, activists went to protest in front of the BP headquaters in Grangemeouth, Fife.
Peace Vigils were also held on Monday, 7th of april in front of the US consulate. The next women's vigil will take place on Saturday, 12th of april Night outside City Chambers on Royal Mile from 9-10pm.
More actions are also to take place on Wednesday,9th of april, when Glasgow activists have announced a demonstration, starting off at Kelvinbridge Underground at 5pm to march to BBC studios, Queen Margaret Drive.
On Saturday, 12th of april, another mass demonstration will take place in Glasgow and in London, following on from the one on the 29th of march.
Scotland March 03 Features
Content of the Indymedia Scotland March03 feature.1.) New structures -Media
2.) Peace Protesters still active - anti-war 3.-8.4.2003
3.) When Injustice becomes Law Resistance becomes duty - Anti-war 29.3.2003
4.) Anti-GM convictions squashed - Environmentalism
5.) More direct action against the war reported - Anti-war 22.3.2003
6.) Stop the War - Stop the City - Anti-war 22.3.2003
7.) No War - Anti-War 21.3.2003
8.) Scotland resists against the War! - Anti-war 20.3.2003
9.) Anti-road protest in Edinburgh gets stronger and stronger! - Environmentalism 20.3.2003
10.) Direct actions when bombs drop- Anti-war 20.3.2003
11.) Banner drop and civil disobedience in Aberdeen! - Anti-war 20.3.2003
12.) Looting against the war in Edinburgh! - Anti-war 20.3.2003
13.) Don't believe the media!- Anti-war 20.3.2003
14.) Direct actions when bombs drop- now! - Anti-war 20.3.2003
15.) School students on strike take direct action against the war - Anti-war 17.3.2003
16.) Edinburgh Anti-war Protesters storm the Castle and block Princes Street - Anti-war 17.3.2003
17.) Beltane Fire Society cancels festival in Edinburgh! - Culture 17.3.2003
18.) Edinburgh shows solidarity with Chiapas- Internationalism 13.3.2003
19.) Anti-War actions at RAF Leuchar, Tornado damaged!- Anti-war 12.3.2003
20.) Protest and attempted occupation at Spanish embassy in Edinburgh- Internationalism 11.3.2003
21.) Faslane Peace Camp needs more guests! - Antimilitarism 10.3.2003
22.) Videoactivist training for Indymedia Scotland - Media 7.-9. March
23.) Aberdeen is marching against the war - Anti-war 8.3.2003
24.) Women against war- Womens' rights are human rights! - Womens Day 8.3.2003
25.) Edinburgh March against the War - Anti-war 6.3.2003
When Injustice becomes Law Resistance becomes Duty
Demonstration in Edinburgh on Saturday, 29th of march.
The demonstration on Saturday was quite big and most impressive with over more than 10000 people.
The new tactic was fencing off the route of the demonstration from the starting point till the end.
However, inspiring and exciting was the crossing of the fencing, when protesters blocked one of the bigger traffic junctions in Edinburgh with a street party including music and dancing.
Many sympathisers of the peace movement also showed their support by banging pots and other kitchen equipment or hanging banners out of their windows or onto the balconies, which was further encouraging.
Critical Mass on Friday
A peace protest in form of a bicycle demonstration rolled around the city centre on Friday evening. "Bicycles not bombs" and "No Blood for Oil" were slogans of some of the environmentalists campaigning for a sustainable longterm solution to the worlds energy problem rather than waging war on countries rich in oil and other exploitable resources.
[ full report | Background reading: Rising Tide ]
Protest on Thursday
In Edinburgh, at midday on Thursday, an autonomous demonstration was taking place, which was quite fun, exciting, spontaneous and successfull. A picket outside the Army Recruitment Office was held, and a major junction on the main shopping road was blocked as well as a sitdown in front of GAP happened.
[report 1 | report 2 | report 3 ]
Anti-war demonstration, Glasgow
The anti-war demonstration in Glasgow last Saturday on the 22nd of march is still of concern to the participants, particularly because of the police brutality happening. [ Robert Burns against the war . | report 1 | report 2 ]
Direct action against GM crop trials
Three anti-GM activists had their convictions for pulling up GM crops quashed in the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Saturday. The crops, genetically modified oil seed rape, were pulled up as part of a protest at Boghall farm in Midlothian. The convictions were quashed four years to the day after the action.More details
Stop the War- Stop the City!
Direct actions and peace demonstrations took place again today. In Edinburgh, lots of speeches and a die-in in front of the Scottish Parliament started the anti-war protest, before school students speeded the demonstration off to Princess Street to block the traffic several times with sit-ins before marching to the US consulate followed by another row of speeches.
Then back to Princes Street with more Sit-Ins and Die-Ins to Charlotte Square.
Police until then has been astonishing relaxed, but become violent, aggressive and provoking when plain-cloth policemen brutally tried to arrest a protester for no apparent reason which kicked off the bystanders to intervene, resulting in more arrests and detention.
Whereas the speakers of the rally tried to support police tactics by asking demonstrators repeatedly not to bother, the police had to let the detained people go due to crowd pressure.
The crowd finally walked off to have a solidarity picket in front of St.Leonards police station, St.Leonard Street.
The demonstration broke through police-lines, when police tried to block their way.
The solidarity picket is still continuing after 10 pm on Saturday night.
In Glasgow there was a big demonstration, and protesters were boxed in for over one and a half hours by police.
Hoosie, from Faslane Peace Camp has been beaten up by police and is now hospitalised with bruised kidney and bruised liver.
He was arrested on Thursday at an action for allegedly assaulting a police officer.
More direct actions against the war reported
The British army building in Glasgow has been attacked by protesters on Sunday night. Resistance is also awakening in Galloway, where depleted uranium is tested. From Dundee, first independent reports and pictures come in about anti-war actions during the last week. In Dumfries pupils went out of school to demonstrate, too. For Edinburgh a big demonstration has been called for next Saturday, as well as for a critical mass on Friday evening and anti-war actions on Thursday midday.
No War!
As we are still waiting for incoming anti-war reports, there has been a pro-peace confetti action in Edinburgh.Anti-war confetti- action in the Scottish Parliament
Don't believe the media!
If you are sprayed with an unknown substance, stand and think about a cool design for a new tattoo.
With the war propaganda fighting full speed ahead an information war on our heads, independent media becomes more and more important as the ownership of the media is concentrated in fewer hands and conglomerates than ever before.
Discussion about the BBC- Blairs and Bush war-vertising Channel
Subvertising war propaganda.
Also check out Media Workers against the War!
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[ comment | Jo Wildings Iraq diary 19th of march | 20th of march ]
Direct actions when bombs drop- now!
Direct actions and protest are also planned for Friday the 21st in front of the Scottish Labour Conference in Dundee.More calls for demonstrations are out for Saturday, when anti-war demonstrators will meet up in Glasgow and in Edinburgh at 12 noon at Parliament Square, and all over the world in bigger and smaller cities to raise their voice against the war.
<a href="/en/2003/03/58848.html">Looting</a> against the war in Edinburgh!
Edinburgh was again facing a traffic collapse when 2 demonstrations blocked Princes Street on Thursday, the day when war broke out.The protest at noon broke out from Parliament Square and onto Princess Street. Police tactics got more confrontational with horses, motorcycles and lots more forces employed to try to disempower the protesters, such as tried by speech-showering politicians.
This did not stop demonstrators running into the capitalist shops owned by multinational corporations and looting stuff whilst shouting anti-capitalist slogans, redistributing it to fellow protesters or just throwing it away.
Some people were arrested or detained by the police during the protest.
A solidarity picket took place in front of the police station.
The Peace protesters were released as soon as the last demo finished.
Banner drop and civil disobedience in Aberdeen!
The city centre was brought to a standstill when protesters broke through the policeline in Aberdeen to reclaim public space from commercial business making.
A banner drop was also taking place. Some people were arrested.
Read this excellent report by Aberdeen Anarchist Resistance!
Anti-road protest in Edinburgh gets stronger and stronger!
Having just had a massive spring clean of our surroundings, site and paths we've now erected a large kitchen/ free cafe with an infoshop attached. Our stage is built, and after an initial performance by the "Beltane Drummers" from Edinburgh we now hope to host more local bands and musicians. There are two new treehouses in progress and our walkway system is ever extending. We would welcome vistors to come for short or long stays, or even just to pop by for a cup of tea and a read.
[ Bilston Anti Bypass Camp - News Update | Bilston Wood- Anti Road Protest Camp near Edinburgh | No Alignment Action Group]
Scotland resists against the War!
Direct actions and protests were held all over Scotland on Thursday, 21st of march. There were protests in Glasgow ( beware: big file-size of pictures).
Demonstrations and disruptions were also held in Dundee, and in other cities, towns and villages around Scotland, including Lerwick on the Shetland island.
Beltane Fire Society cancels festival in Edinburgh !
After 15 years of existence, Beltane Fire Society had to cancel its festival this year. Beltane on Calton Hill has become a major subcultural event in Edinburgh, attracting almost 14 000 people each year to its Celtic Pagan celebration.The Fire show is known for its exceptional, brilliant performances by the passionate, committed volunteers of the non-profit-making community arts organisation.
Now the costs are spiraling over £14,000 for the running of the festival, and so the self-funded, autonomous festival can not proceed. With the refusal of funds by the Arts Council, and the rising costs especially the costs demanded by the Council, the grassroots festivals organisers see themselves unable to cope with the rising demands.
[ full story | pictures of the festival | Beltane Fire Society | Tepooka]
Edinburgh Anti-war Protesters storm the Castle and block Princes Street
An Anti-War demonstration took place this morning in Edinburgh, amongst the protesters mainly school students, who went on strike.The activists stormed Edinburgh Castle, which is not only a main tourist attraction, but also a military garrison. After blocking the entrance for about an hour, the demonstration moved on to the front of the Scottish parliament, and then, further to Princes Street, where the traffic was blocked and a sit-down took place.
Later, the protesters tried to raise their opposition in front of the US consulate, but police hemmed the protesters in and allowed them to leave in small groups.
[ full story | pictures]
Edinburgh shows solidarity with Chiapas
As the situation in Chiapas, Mexico, intensified over the last couple of months, international solidarity and awareness becomes more and more important.The autonomous communities of the Indigenous people and the Zapatistas are in struggle against the threat of US economical trans-latin-american interests and the consequences of globalisation with its associated ecological and human exploitation in their local environment.
The Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Campaign invites interested people along to its presentation of the issues.
[ report | Chiapas indymedia | special page on ImcUk , special page on ImcScotland]
Anti-War actions at RAF Leuchar- Tornado damaged!
Access has been gained and a hangar was entered at the Royal Air Force base in Leuchers near St.Andrews in Fife, when a Tornado Aircraft was damaged by 48-year-old Ulla Roder.Tornados are among the aircraft being deployed to the Gulf and part of the air-defense.Also, Roz,33, from Edinburgh, and Petter,22, from Glasgow, face two charges at Cupar Sheriff Court relating to the perimeter fence and spray painting.
On Saturday a group of anti-war activists held a protest at the very same base near St.Andrews in Fife .
[update and description of action |full report | Trident Ploughshares |BBC report | Anarchist Black Cross | Earth Liberation Prisoners]
Protest and attempted occupation at Spanish embassy in Edinburgh
The Spanish embassy in Edinburgh was targeted by about fifty activists, who attempted to occupy the representative institution of the Spanish state and its politics. Scuffles broke out and two people were at one point thrown to the floor and handcuffed by police, but later released without charges or arrest.
The action at the Spanish embassy had the aim to reveal the repressive measures in conjunction with the war-propaganda as well as the further institutional ignorance towards right-wing, fascist structures in Spain.
[full report and picture | more pictures| picture1 | | picture2 | theoretical background]
