We were inside sub say Trident protesters

TP | 19.11.2002 13:43

Press release from Trident Ploughshares (Mon 18th) ...

Trident Ploughshares
Press Briefing
18th November 2002
Devonport Disarmament Camp
"WE WERE INSIDE TRIDENT SUB" SAY ACTIVISTS
The Trident Ploughshares activists who were released on bail today after being arrested for boarding HMS Vanguard on Friday night, have now revealed that they got inside the Trident nuclear weapons submarine and spent 30 minutes exploring it unhindered.

Petter Joelson (22) from Sweden and Elisa Silvennoinen (19) from Finland appeared at Plymouth magistrates court this morning charged with criminal damage to a fence valued at £250. The fence in question was not the perimeter fence of the Devonport Royal Naval base but a small fence protecting HMS Vanguard in its dock. They were released on bail not to enter the city of Plymouth, including Devonport, until a pre-trial hearing on December 16th.

Petter said "I can't see the logic of a situation where Tony Blair is threatening Iraq with war if they don't grant access to weapons inspectors, when at the same we were arrested for a peaceful inspection of Britain's illegal weapons of mass destruction."

David McKenzie of Trident Ploughshares said "After Friday's astonishing security lapse people have been calling for "heads to roll". Lets make it clear – we do not want anyone in the base to be sacked. What we want is for the British government to take responsibility for its criminal nuclear weapons policy and its total disregard for people’s safety."

This morning from 6:30am around 50 peace campaigners, including local supporters, blockaded Camel's Head gate and Albert gate at Devonport Royal Navy dockyard, disrupting work at the base. Seven women were arrested and charged with "obstruction of the highway".

Five of them locked together by their wrists inside plastic tubing. The seven were Shirley Law, Helen McFie, Ann Kobayashi, Debbie Mace, Maureen Ukairo, Myra Garrett and Lynn Bliss. This brings the total number of arrests so far at this camp to nine. All seven have been released today on bail for later hearings.

Ivor Birnie of Trident Ploughshares said "It was great to be at today's peaceful protest at Albert gate. The arrests won't deter us and as long as Trident is here we will be too. I just hope that the government listens to sense soon and gets rid of these useless nuclear weapons."

Comments

Hide the following 5 comments

Elitism

19.11.2002 13:47

As SWP hack Lindsay German said, these Ploughshares people are elitist with their policy of effective direct action against the military. We should restrict ourselves to endless marches and help the police arrest these fascist pacifists.

Uno

well done!

19.11.2002 21:24

But I am just wondering how come the activists were able to spend half an hour in a nuclear submarine undetected, yet still managed to only do £250 of criminal damage? I am not having a go, as I think what they did was great, and should happen more often but surel they had the opportunity to do way more damage than that. I mean if they'd done over £5000 worth of damage they would have been enitled to a jury trial and would probably have been let off. Did they not expect to get so far or what?
Like i say i am not having a go, i am just confused.

oh for fucks sake Uno!

20.11.2002 14:14

Can't you just shut up about the SWP? I think we can all make our own minds up about them. This is a real report of a great action, just leave off it.

fed up now

No intent to damage sub (this time)

20.11.2002 16:05

They did not intend to cause damage to the sub. They did not even expect to get to the sub. The damage refered to was simply that caused to a fence when they used bolt cutters to make a hole through which to enter. Had they been prepared to cause damage to the sub then they would have had amply opportunity to do so.

john

Fantastic action

21.11.2002 09:11

I think the activists did a great job and i reckon ploughshares are one of the best radical groups around. I think SWP however should stick to what they're good at (not a lot), i.e "Imperialism" and "Revolution!" and wasting their time and energy trying to monopolise resistance.

So well done TP and keep it up.

Gooseberry