Activists close Rolls Royce Derby (Trident manufacturer)
Roger Oldfield | 28.01.2003 10:00
Today (Jan 28th), activists from Trident Ploughshares, the direct action campaign to peacefully disarm the British Trident nuclear weapons system, closed the Raynesway site at Rolls Royce Derby. Eight activists blocked entrances, some of them by locking themselves to the entrance gates with a variety of chains, padlocks and thumb locks, closing the factory just as employees were arriving for work. The management told some workers to go home and return at lunchtime
Activists close Rolls Royce Derby (Trident manufacturer)
PEACE ACTIVISTS CLOSE FACTORY REFITTING BRITAIN’S WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
Today (Jan 28th), activists from Trident Ploughshares, the direct action campaign to peacefully disarm the British Trident nuclear weapons system, closed the Raynesway site at Rolls Royce Derby. Eight activists blocked entrances, some of them by locking themselves to the entrance gates with a variety of chains, padlocks and thumb locks, closing the factory just as employees were arriving for work. The management told some workers to go home and return at lunchtime.
The plant produces nuclear fuel components for the Trident submarines, which are powered by nuclear reactors. One of the 4 submarines, HMS Vanguard, is currently in Devonport docks, Plymouth, undergoing a re-fit, and new fuel plates will be transported by road from Derby to Plymouth as part of this process.
The group attached a banner to the gates, proclaiming "Rolls Royce: the driving force behind Britain’s nuclear weapons", and gave out leaflets to employees arriving at the site, explaining their presence.
A spokesperson said, "by closing the factory, we are delaying the production and transportation of the fuel components which are essential to the powering of the submarines carrying Britain’s nuclear weapons. We are also highlighting the hypocrisy of the Government, which is expounding the dangers of these weapons and at the same time threatening the world with its own weapons of mass destruction."
The 8 activists include:
Paul Milling from Birmingham
Rachael Milling from Birmingham
Marlene Yeo from Loughborough
Nigel from Stafford
Alison Crane from Stafford
Jenn Pardue from Stone in Staffordshire
Joan Meredith from Malpas, Cheshire
Notes for journalists
Trident Ploughshares was established in 1998 to challenge the UK's illegal and immoral possession and threatened use of nuclear weapons. Trident Ploughshares activists pledge to dismantle the UK’s nuclear arsenal in a peaceful, non-violent, open and accountable manner. To the end of November 2002 there have been 1,790 arrests, 380 trials, 1,680 days spent in prison and £53,990 of fines and compensation orders.
The UK's Trident nuclear weapons system is based on 4 submarines which carry between 12 and 16 missiles, each of which can deliver a number of 100 kiloton warheads to individual targets - mass destruction on an unimaginable level.
More information
For up to date information from Derby telephone Alison Crane 0796 003 0038
For further details of today's action telephone Roger Oldfield 01785 664328
For background information on the national Trident Ploughshares campaign telephone David Mackenzie 0845 4588366 or 0787 659 3016
Today (Jan 28th), activists from Trident Ploughshares, the direct action campaign to peacefully disarm the British Trident nuclear weapons system, closed the Raynesway site at Rolls Royce Derby. Eight activists blocked entrances, some of them by locking themselves to the entrance gates with a variety of chains, padlocks and thumb locks, closing the factory just as employees were arriving for work. The management told some workers to go home and return at lunchtime.
The plant produces nuclear fuel components for the Trident submarines, which are powered by nuclear reactors. One of the 4 submarines, HMS Vanguard, is currently in Devonport docks, Plymouth, undergoing a re-fit, and new fuel plates will be transported by road from Derby to Plymouth as part of this process.
The group attached a banner to the gates, proclaiming "Rolls Royce: the driving force behind Britain’s nuclear weapons", and gave out leaflets to employees arriving at the site, explaining their presence.
A spokesperson said, "by closing the factory, we are delaying the production and transportation of the fuel components which are essential to the powering of the submarines carrying Britain’s nuclear weapons. We are also highlighting the hypocrisy of the Government, which is expounding the dangers of these weapons and at the same time threatening the world with its own weapons of mass destruction."
The 8 activists include:
Paul Milling from Birmingham
Rachael Milling from Birmingham
Marlene Yeo from Loughborough
Nigel from Stafford
Alison Crane from Stafford
Jenn Pardue from Stone in Staffordshire
Joan Meredith from Malpas, Cheshire
Notes for journalists
Trident Ploughshares was established in 1998 to challenge the UK's illegal and immoral possession and threatened use of nuclear weapons. Trident Ploughshares activists pledge to dismantle the UK’s nuclear arsenal in a peaceful, non-violent, open and accountable manner. To the end of November 2002 there have been 1,790 arrests, 380 trials, 1,680 days spent in prison and £53,990 of fines and compensation orders.
The UK's Trident nuclear weapons system is based on 4 submarines which carry between 12 and 16 missiles, each of which can deliver a number of 100 kiloton warheads to individual targets - mass destruction on an unimaginable level.
More information
For up to date information from Derby telephone Alison Crane 0796 003 0038
For further details of today's action telephone Roger Oldfield 01785 664328
For background information on the national Trident Ploughshares campaign telephone David Mackenzie 0845 4588366 or 0787 659 3016
Roger Oldfield
e-mail:
john@iraqbodycount.org
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Peace protesters blockade Rolls Royce plant
28.01.2003 11:40
Protesters have chained themselves to the gates of a Rolls-Royce plant which makes nuclear fuel systems for British submarines.
The group used padlocks and thumb locks to fix themselves to the factory entrance in Derby.
They are trying to disrupt the delivery of materials to HMS Vanguard which is being refitted in Plymouth.
They claim that Rolls-Royce Marine Division reprocesses nuclear material at the site to create fuel plates for all Trident submarines.
But the firm will only officially confirm that the plant is used to "design, supply and support" material which powers nuclear submarine reactors.
The Trident Ploughshares group works to disarm Trident submarines.
Alison Crane, of the group, said: "We are also highlighting the hypocrisy of the Government, which is expounding the dangers of these weapons and at the same time threatening the world with its own weapons of mass destruction."
Some workers were forced to turn away from the site entrance as they arrived for work but came back later.
Police attended the scene of the protest but did not make any arrests.
Ananova