Peace pensioner Irene jailed again

Trident Ploughshares Media | 17.08.2009 15:14 | Anti-militarism | Iraq

Peace and environmental activist and Trident Ploughshares member Irene Willis, 64, originally from Essex but now living in Tregaron, Wales was released from jail last Wednesday, August 12th after serving 10 days of a 20 day sentence at HMP Eastwood in Bristol for non-payment of fines totalling £638 imposed for her part in nonviolent protests against nuclear weapons and the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon between 2006-8.

Irene blockades Devonport submarine base, Aug 08 - Photo: S. Lasenby

Irene understands that the fines related to blockades at Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment, the Labour party conference in Bournemouth and possibly an action against cluster bombs at USAF Lakenheath during Israel’s attacks on Lebanon in 2006.

The custodial sentence was passed down reluctantly on Monday, August 3rd by magistrates in Aberystwyth, Wales who, according to Irene, “didn’t know what to do with her.” Whilst in custody, Irene, who has been incarcerated on previous occasions for non-payment of fines resulting from her peace and environmental protests, also had to deal with the tragic news of her mother’s sudden passing from a stroke. She also fasted between 6-9 August in memory of the victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Irene’s local paper, the Cambrian News, reported that she was jailed for “mainly motoring offences”, despite the fact that she hasn’t driven for 15 to 20 years. The paper has, however, promised to print an apology after Irene complained.

Trident Ploughshares Media
e-mail: tridentp.media [at] yahoo.co.uk
Homepage: http://www.tridentploughshares.org

Comments

Hide the following 10 comments

Good luck.

18.08.2009 15:20

Nice to see the British law incarcerating a pensioner whilst kissing the backside of the arms dealing filth.

And you really are filth if your earning your whack off the back of arms dealing.

Eyes Higher

bombs

18.08.2009 20:35

> Nice to see the British law incarcerating a pensioner whilst kissing the backside of the arms dealing filth.
Well it isn't, but it is hardly a surprise out of the blue. I'm sure Irene would of known that it was almost a certain consequence of not paying court fines. If everyone was let off because they didn't pay fines issued at court it would be pretty pointless wouldn't it?

> And you really are filth if your earning your whack off the back of arms dealing.
Not sure what this has to do with Irene. Maybe true, but people have been using weapons for 1000s of years even before our species evolved.

Personally, i feel happy to know that if a country were to aggressively attack us, they do so knowing that we have some metal tubes under the oceans containing weapons to retaliate. Maybe they arnt necessary at the moment, but im sure at some point in the future they will be. A bunch of flowers isn't going to stop a country that doesn't like us from dropping bombs.

To ex

19.08.2009 08:33

I suppose you are naive enough to think that any state callous enough to use nuclear (or conventional) weapons and kill hundreds of thousands / millions of civilians (e.g. in Japan, Iraq, Afghanistan or Iran) would actually give a shit if hundreds of thousands of its own citizens were wiped out? Wake up and realise how evil the state and its corporate backers are, how much contempt they have for ordinary citizens of this country and the world, for humanity and the planet, how the only things they care about are power and money, and then do something about it.

Deterrence theory

wake up

19.08.2009 17:15

i suppose your naivity stretches to believe that the UK will never be under attack in the future from some country that doesn't like us. Wake up, people have been declaring war for 1000s of years and will continue to do so. Do you actually think the Germans wouldn't have took us over? Or that the russian tanks wouldn't have rolled right across Europe? Future invaders don't give a shit about us and wouldn't care if 1000s of our citizens died.

tex

Mentality of the genocidal maniacs who rule us

19.08.2009 21:03

Check this out:

http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.2487768.0.topsecret_document_reveals_trident_was_set_up_to_kill_half_of_moscows_citizens.php

These people utterly despise humanity. They are not to be trusted with anything more potent than a water pistol.

Deterrence theory

yes barking mad

19.08.2009 21:37

yep, sounds about right. And the Russians had the equivilent aimed on us.

Thats how it works, bombs pointing both ways. Its barking when looked at in moral terms, but makes perfect sense in defensive terms. Most defence is a deterrence.

Its just part of how nature works. You get two animals squaring up to each other. If they both have equivilent strengths then they will back off and leave each other be. If one is a lot stronger than the other, then it will kill the weaker one without too much concern.

You might not like it, no one does, but thats how things work in the real world.

tex

I vote...

19.08.2009 22:12

...for everyone being able to carry a semi-automatic pistol in their pocket, purely as a "deterrent", of course. That will surely keep us all safe and we will then have a nice peaceful crimeless society. And it will keep small-arms manufacturers' order books full, so it'll also be good for the economy. Maybe everyone should also carry a vial of polonium and a cannister of mustard gas, just in case.

Deterrence theory

Chalk and cheese sunshine

19.08.2009 22:32

Oh dear, you've not thought this through have you? Just spouting again?

When nuclear weapons are launched, there are launch detection systems that enable the other side to launch their weapons in response --> mutual destruction is guaranteed.
Thats a mutual deterrent.

A semi-automatic pistol isn't a deterrent. If two people have got guns, one can shoot the other without incurring any danger to themselves. There is virtually no risk of mutual destruction. Hence, no real deterrent

tex

You've converted me, tex.

19.08.2009 22:56

I think nuclear weapons are great and we should keep them indefinitely, whatever the cost. And we should make sure that every country in the world has them - it's only fair. Plus we need them for when the aliens invade.

Deterrence theory

almost

19.08.2009 23:22

Fairness is for fools and romantics. The most ideal situation would be that we have them and everyone else doesn't. If we can achieve that then so much the better.

you forgot about rogue asteroids as well. What you gonna do, throw a flower at it?

tex