Protesters face Crown Court for anti-nuke action in Plymouth
Dr Margaret Jones | 04.09.2002 22:38
Press Release : for immediate use 10.00 pm Tuesday 3 September 2002
Protesters face Crown Court for anti-nuke action in Plymouth
Dr Margaret Jones, well known Bristol campaigner, and veteran Welsh CND activist Councillor Ray Davies, were today charged in Plymouth Magistrates' Court for their part in the plan for a "Maximum Disarmament" against a hunter-killer submarine in Plymouth harbour.
In the early hours of this morning, Jones and Davies rowed up the River Tamar in a small dinghy, and entered Devonport dockyard in Plymouth. They took with them hammers and a crowbar to damage sensitive equipment aboard the hunter-killer submarine HMS Tireless. Tireless forms part of the support system for Britain’s Trident nuclear weapons.
After cutting their way through four fences the pair were stopped and arrested before they could complete their action. They have both been charged on two counts: (1) with alleged criminal damage to the fences and (2) carrying tools to effect "maximum disarmament" of HMS Tireless.
The submarine (recently in the media for radioactive leaks in Gibraltar) was due to finish her refit and to return to active service later today. Jones and Davies were remanded to be brought before Plymouth Magistrates' Court, but released at three p.m, just after HMS Tireless sailed from Devonport
Jones and Davies have opted for a jury trial in the Crown Court. The committal hearing will be on 31 October.
Jones and Davies are members of the "Telesubbies" affinity group of Trident Ploughshares, an organisation dedicated to safely, non-violently and accountably disarming Britain’s nuclear weapons, in accordance with international law.
"Trident represents a threat to us, as much as to the rest of the world," say Davies and Jones. "We undertook to disable part of the support system for this terrible weapon, because our government refuses to disarm it for us. They are the terrorists." The pair carried with them a banner that read, END TERRORIST NUCLEAR WEAPONS .
The pair were prompted to take their action now, due to the fact that Britain has threatened to use, and may actually use, nuclear weapons in any attack on Iraq.
Contacts: -
Bristol Trident Ploughshares group - Margaret Jones 0117-9552739 - Rowland Dye (Media Liaison) 0117-955-2061/ 07711-214-168 Emma Bleach 07779-116-705
Press Agents for Cllr Ray Davies:- Jill Stallard 01550-750-260 Wendy Lewis (H) 02920-889-514 (W) 01633-238-437
National Trident Ploughshares media contact:- David Mackenzie Tel: 0845 45 88 366 mobile: 07876593016 Trident Ploughshares Web Site
http://www.tridentploughshares.org/
PICTURES AVAILABLE VIA E-MAIL
Protesters face Crown Court for anti-nuke action in Plymouth
Dr Margaret Jones, well known Bristol campaigner, and veteran Welsh CND activist Councillor Ray Davies, were today charged in Plymouth Magistrates' Court for their part in the plan for a "Maximum Disarmament" against a hunter-killer submarine in Plymouth harbour.
In the early hours of this morning, Jones and Davies rowed up the River Tamar in a small dinghy, and entered Devonport dockyard in Plymouth. They took with them hammers and a crowbar to damage sensitive equipment aboard the hunter-killer submarine HMS Tireless. Tireless forms part of the support system for Britain’s Trident nuclear weapons.
After cutting their way through four fences the pair were stopped and arrested before they could complete their action. They have both been charged on two counts: (1) with alleged criminal damage to the fences and (2) carrying tools to effect "maximum disarmament" of HMS Tireless.
The submarine (recently in the media for radioactive leaks in Gibraltar) was due to finish her refit and to return to active service later today. Jones and Davies were remanded to be brought before Plymouth Magistrates' Court, but released at three p.m, just after HMS Tireless sailed from Devonport
Jones and Davies have opted for a jury trial in the Crown Court. The committal hearing will be on 31 October.
Jones and Davies are members of the "Telesubbies" affinity group of Trident Ploughshares, an organisation dedicated to safely, non-violently and accountably disarming Britain’s nuclear weapons, in accordance with international law.
"Trident represents a threat to us, as much as to the rest of the world," say Davies and Jones. "We undertook to disable part of the support system for this terrible weapon, because our government refuses to disarm it for us. They are the terrorists." The pair carried with them a banner that read, END TERRORIST NUCLEAR WEAPONS .
The pair were prompted to take their action now, due to the fact that Britain has threatened to use, and may actually use, nuclear weapons in any attack on Iraq.
Contacts: -
Bristol Trident Ploughshares group - Margaret Jones 0117-9552739 - Rowland Dye (Media Liaison) 0117-955-2061/ 07711-214-168 Emma Bleach 07779-116-705
Press Agents for Cllr Ray Davies:- Jill Stallard 01550-750-260 Wendy Lewis (H) 02920-889-514 (W) 01633-238-437
National Trident Ploughshares media contact:- David Mackenzie Tel: 0845 45 88 366 mobile: 07876593016 Trident Ploughshares Web Site
http://www.tridentploughshares.org/ PICTURES AVAILABLE VIA E-MAIL
Dr Margaret Jones