Beaumaris Castle Occupied

Here's a copy of the press release, which was provided in both English and Welsh:


We have occupied this castle in the name of Truth, Peace and Justice This is a peaceful protest at the British Government's actions in the middle east-actions subservient to U.S. imperialist foreign policy; actions which have destabilised the region causing unnecessary pain and suffering to millions of people.

We have been lied to repeatedly by our government about the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq, about the promises to reconstruct Afghanistan, and about the extent of the British Government's continued support for the Israeli State despite its appalling decimation of the Palestinian people.

Our government claims to act in the name of democracy but its actions serve only economic interests. It has put financial gain before the safety of people. Its disastrous policies in the Middle East have made us much less secure here at home as well as doing untold damage to the Arab Peoples abroad.

As members of the local community and students of the University of Wales, symbolic of a significant proportion of the British public, we assert that this government has acted undemocratically, ignoring our views. It has broken international law and waged a war of lies on the people of this country with words of mass deception.

We ask all those with a conscience to join us in this protest. In honour of the many lives already needlessly lost, and for the sake of the many lives yet to be needlessly sacrificed we must make our voices heard.

We undertake to cause no damage to the fabric or structure of this site. We shall voluntarily and peacefully withdraw from this occupation at 17:00 hrs on Monday the 28th of June. We call upon forces of occupation in Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq to do likewise.


REPORT

Members of the Bangor Peace Group have staged a non-violent occupation of Beaumaris Castle on the Isle of Anglesey in protest to the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan by British and American forces, along with the ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories by the Isreali army. Beaumaris castle, long used as a base by the occupying English army for subjugating the Welsh population was chosen for its symbolic value and high public profile.

Protestors scaled the walls using ladders in the early hours of Sunday morning and secured the castle. CADW (the welsh equivalent of English Heritage) staff were surprised this morning to find the doors to the castle locked from the inside and banners hung from the battlements. The police were contacted and a significant number of officers were drafted in from as far as St Asaph and Wrexham to prevent any further protestors entering the castle.

Along with the protestors in the castle, members of various local groups including the Green Party and representatives from Bangor's local mosque assembled in the town square across from the castle in solidarity and to distribute press releases and awareness-raising leaflets to passers-by.

The police have so far taken a fairly passive approach. They have been informed that the protestors intend to end their protest peacefully at 17:00 hrs on Monday the 28th of June, and at the time of writing have stated that they have no intention of trying to remove the protestors by force. An officer on the scene stated that the safety of the protestors as well as the public was paramount, along with concerns about potential damage to the monument itself. Allie, a member of the peace group who was acting as an informal liason between the police and the protestors reported that the police had so far been communicative and fair.

The castle is a very popular stop-off for tourists visiting the area, and would normally have been busy on a Sunday in the summer. Conversations with members of the public denied a visit to the castle by the police cordon were generally very positive, with most people being supportive both of the cause and of the novel approach taken by the protestors. An elderly couple visiting from the United States was heard to comment: "I wish people back home would stand up like this so we could get rid of that Bush."