Three Christian protestors will stand trial on Tuesday 24th May at Newbury Magistrates Court following a protest at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston in September 2010.

Susan Clarkson, Fr Martin Newell and Chris Cole are facing Criminal Damage and Criminal Trespass charges after creating a gate in the outer fence of AWE Aldermaston and inviting the public to begin disarmament.

In a statement released at the time, the three Catholic peace activists said

“We come today, to the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston, to open a new gateway into this tightly guarded factory of death. We come inspired by the message of Jesus in the gospels: to love our enemies, to be peacemakers and to live and act nonviolently at all times. We believe that AWE Aldermaston and its extensive and expensive new development programme needs to be exposed for what it is: a factory for the creation of weapons of mass destruction which have the power to destroy this beautiful world, given to us by God, our loving creator, to care and tend.”

The three defendants will argue that their actions were reasonable, appropriate, and legitimate given that AWE Aldermaston continues to research, develop and test nuclear weapons. The action was also part of worldwide celebration of the 30th anniversary of the first ‘Ploughshares’ action and coincided with a Trident Ploughshares Summer Camp.

Susan Clarkson and Chris Cole live in Oxford, while Fr Martin Newell lives in London. Susan and Martin are part of the Catholic Worker movement.

The trial is set to begin at 9.30am and support is welcome. For further details contact:  awe-trial@figtree.org.uk or call 01865 775001

For photos and further details of the action see :  http://www.indymedia.ie/article/97586