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FASLANE 365 PROTESTS Trident Nuclear Submarine Base, Scotland |
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FASLANE: THE REMOTE SCOTTISH
COAST. October 1st 2006 began 365 days of protest against
one of the most awesome killing machines ever developed - the British
Trident nuclear missile fleet. Tony Blair plans to spend up to £75 BILLION
upgrading Trident beyond its present destructive power of 1000 Hiroshimas. |
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HULL FOUR SAY NO TO TRIDENTFASLANE 365 - MAKING BRITISH PROTEST HISTORY
Four peace campaigners from Hull will be risking arrest at the Faslane 365 demonstrations on the west coast of Scotland this weekend. John Beardmore and Jane Harvey of the Society of Friends, Hull, (the Quakers), Martin Deane of Hull & E.Riding Green Party, and Stop the War supporter Mary Codd, are protesting against the proposed complete replacement of the Trident nuclear missile submarines
Faslane365 is a whole-year-round mass arrest protest supported by dozens of peace activist groups from across the country who are aiming for an attendance of 100 people a day throughout the year. It is set to be the largest, ongoing mass civil disobedience protest in British history.
From 1st October there has been a continuous protest at the Faslane naval base aimed at Britain’s most powerful weapons. The Trident fleet missile arsenal, fully armed, could already potentially unleash the killing power of 3000 Hiroshimas. Tony Blair intends complete upgrade of the Trident submarine based nuclear 'deterrent'. The cost will be a minimum of £25 billion, peace campaigners claim, and more likely a total bill of £75 billion.
"Trident represents an incredible commitment by the Blair government to war and the destruction of the Non-Proliferation Treaty on nuclear weapons. The real cost is to our overstretched and pressurized welfare, health and education services. We reject it utterly - especially in the face of real enemies like climate change or the oil grab driving his present wars," says Martin Deane, Hull Green Party Secretary. “Now is the time for Britain to lead a new way in international relations not to fall back into old ways of threat and power plays.”
Faslane has seen thousands of arrests over the years including Caroline Lucas, MEP, Green Party, and George Galloway, MP, (RESPECT).
They will be setting off on Saturday morning Nov 10, for Glasgow.
----------------------------------------------- Martin Deane, 07812 838701
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Details of Northern Quakers at Faslane 365 12-13 November are
asked to bring their own food for a bring and share supper. The
police will arrest anyone blockading the entrance who refuses to move
when asked. Everyone has been kept overnight in cells and released the
following day (except for FRIDAYs arrests who reappear on Monday). So
if you’ve got 2 days aim for arrest on the first day and you should
be able to travel home on the second… |
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List of Good Things in the Police Station1. Mattresses better than sleeping on the floor in the Church where we are staying 2. The company 3. Free food / don't have to cook or do the dishes 4. Bellboy / roomservice 5. Don't have to go far to the toilet 6. Good experience 7. Good for thinking 8. Time to read 9. Catch up on sleep. Sleep late without ruining the day or feeling lazy 10. Service staff mostly nice 11. Contact with your neighbours (through knocking etc.) 12. Don't have to flush yourself (button operated by service staff on the outside) 13. AC 14. Warmer than the church 15. Don't have to make your bed 16. More proteins than at home (especially in the breakfast). |
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Anti-Trident
Protesters Arrested (BBC) October 11th Update for Faslane
365 Blockading Groups We
have had a very good start! All the five groups involved so far have
managed to blockade and cause disruption to the base and there has been
quite a spread of blockading times chosen by the groups. None of the
groups have been 100 in number but they have still been effective, so
don’t be downhearted if your group’s numbers are not what
you hoped for. The visible presence at the gates has been really important
too, with great displays of banners, music and dancing. The police have put up ordinary crowd barriers
in the gutters at the pavements on both sides of the North gate and
this has gradually been extended round the corners. At the same time
they have not attempted to corral protesters in a particular place and
there has been a fair bit of free movement. They have stuck by their
promise to arrest people (so far about 50 people) who go into and stay
in the gateway entrances. Today they added Harris fencing (6 ft high
perimeter fencing like they used at Gleneagles at the G8 protests) around
the roundabout, preventing people from going on to it. There are also
some barriers at the South gate. There have been lots and lots of police,
and they have behaved in a fairly gentle manner. Do check out the reports on the website from the groups who have
already blockaded Some
Pointers from the Legal Working Group
Custody
So far everyone who has been arrested has been held until the following
day, regardless of what time they were arrested. When the Procurator
Fiscal has seen the police reports the following morning he has told
the police to release people with a letter from him saying that they
are not being prosecuted this time but will be if they repeat the offence.
It seems to take until lunchtime to actually be released. There have
been two exceptions. One woman was released on an undertaking in the
evening of the day she was arrested because she had a hospital appointment.
The undertaking was cancelled the following day and the warning letter
sent to her. A man with a heart condition was released from the police
station after a few hours as being unfit for custody. Checking
addresses
The police have been checking people’s addresses in a number
of ways. They have phoned the Legal Support Team for a Blockading Group
and had the addresses read from the groups Registration Forms after
this was offered. Sometimes they have asked people to give the phone
number of someone they know who the police phone and ask for people’s
addresses. You might want to prepare someone in advance to do this and
make sure you have their number with you. Note that the point
at which they ask you for the number will be after they have sealed
away all your property so you won't be able to look in your mobile phone,
etc. Have the numbers on a separate piece of paper and ask to
keep it with you or write it on your arm. Vehicles
There have been two vehicles involved in dropping off people with
lock-ons. The first time a police officer made the driver move into
another seat and drove her van himself to the nearby bus stop. Her details
were taken and she and the van were released. The second time the driver
was arrested and the van driven away to the processing compound by the
police. It was later collected by the company who has the contract for
impounding vehicles. On release from custody the driver had to pay £290
to get his van back. Legal
Support Teams
The F365 Legal Working Group would still like to hear from Legal
Support Teams for each Blockading Group who has yet to come. It’s
good to have contact details so that we can check in with you in advance
and give you any last minute information about the legal situation.
It’s also useful to have the number you will be using for legal
support on the day. You can contact us on 07768 312 678 or legalworkinggroup@faslane365.org Note: Vodafone is still the most reliable network around Faslane although
O2 and apparently 3 are ok too. If you are using a phone you are unfamiliar
with then get to know it in advance – especially how to check
for voicemail and texts – and make sure it will ring loudly so
you can hear it over the traffic. You can use the landline in the Faslane
365 caravan at Faslane Peace Camp to make calls but have enough credit
on your phone for all the calling you may need to do from the gates
– possibly £40 for two days. Media
Request
It would be really helpful if groups could copy their press releases
to info@faslane365.org
so that the stories can be passed on to activist lists and other outlets. |
