London – Parliament Square: blockade, Critical Mass, inside House of Commons, demo & celebs rally>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
14.03.2007
Anti-Trident protestors today shut down Great George Street in Parliament Square at around 11:45 am today for about 15 minutes in protest over the government’s plans to renew Britain’s nuclear capability. After police picked them up and moved them to the side, two of five lanes were reopened to traffic.
9 people who have chained themselves together using a model of a Trident Missile and concrete blocks, blocking the roads around Parliament Square just hours before MPs are to decide on the replacement of the Trident nuclear missile system.
One of the protesters, Mell Harrison from Bungay said “we were told that there would be a full and open debate but this has not happened. Even some people who are currently in favour of Trident are not happy about the way the debate has been conducted. This is an issue of international importance and will not just affect us but leaves the spectre of nuclear holocaust over generations to come.”
She went on to say: “what we need for our security is not a so called ‘independent’ deterrent but an independent foreign policy”.
This action comes during an upsurge of anti-nuclear protests with nearly 580 people arrested since last October, including 30 from the eastern region, in a year long blockade of the Faslane base where the nuclear submarines are kept and regular actions at the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston.
they were strewn out across the whole road while supporters held a banner ‘no trident replacement’. traffic was redirected and the road cleared of vehicles, and then police moved in and, despite the risk of causing injury, manhandled the heavy blocks along with the protesters to the side of the road.
a specialist team arrived and started cutting away at the ‘trident missile’, while the activists were handed notices by police telling them that they were taking part in an ‘unauthorised protest’ under the ‘serious organised crime and police act’ (socpa).
after about half an hour, two lanes of traffic were opened, and the three activists attached to the missile were freed and arrested. one of them had been slightly cut on her right hand during police attempts to release her.
a huge hammer drill was used on the first of the concrete blocks. the block was moulded in a plastic bin with the painted words ‘bin trident’. press were moved well away and officers blocked sight-lines. they claimed it was for health and safety reasons, but continued to allow traffic to pass by within feet of the operation.
each block took a further twenty minutes or so, and it was past four ‘o’ clock when the last of the protesters were removed. it is believed they are charged under the socpa legislation and for obstruction of the highway.
‘block the builders’ stage regular blockades at the aldermarston weapons laboratory and the next is planned for 19th march. they believe that the building work at the lab has already started for the next generation of nuclear weapons and that today’s trident vote is a sham.
more details available at www.blockthebuilders.org.uk
Critical Mass
The arrival of critical mass livened things up and gave the legions of bored cops something to do, albeit for a short time. At least two cyclists were told that if they peddled round the square again they would be arrested. Sadly the sight of David Cameron being nicked on his bike as he cycled home was not to materialise. He was far too busy showing off his green credentials by helping the government make enough weapons to kill the entire planet twice over.
Inside House of Commons
As MPs debated today over the UKs strategic nuclear deterrence programme in the hours before a final decision was made 3 people were arrested in the House of Commons. They were just a few of the many across Britain who placed themselves in the hands of police officers to make their message, and that of the nations heard. Risking their careers and their freedom for their principles. Read more . . . .
3 people were arrested yesterday (13th march 2007) in the House of Commons, where from 1pm MPs were gathering to debate the issue of the UKs strategic nuclear defence programme and the replacement of Trident, our current nuclear weapons system.
The debate may have opened with a pathetically weak, lame dog of an argument from Margaret Beckett, however some inspiring speeches were given by the likes of Jeremy Corybyn, Micheal Meacher, John McDonnell, Nigel Griffiths and many, many more.
At approximately 6pm, 5 hours into the debate, two peace protesters in the viewing gallery stood up holding a peace flag. Though they remained both silent and static they were immediately noticed my MPs, some of whom pointed (and even smiled). The two protesters (one 18 year old girl and 21 year old guy, both students from Berkshire) were jumped on immediately by guards and escorted out. The 18 year old being carried by out security. They received much applause and support from people in the gallery and subsequently a gentleman was arrested for clapping.
One woman raised objections as to the rough treatment the two young people received; thankfully she was not also arrested for doing so.
Once removed from the viewing area they were escorted to the police rooms where they were informed they had no right to a solicitor or detention review as would be the case outside of parliament.
However they were only detained for under 2 hours and were let out shortly after the vote results was announced.
Twelve minute film shows celebs’ press-call in the morning, the lock-on and parliament square blockade of the afternoon, and the cyclists’ ‘fish on bicycle’ demo in the evening, followed by police harassment as the ‘official’ cnd protest finishes:
Video wmv version – video/x-ms-wmv 17M
mp4 version – video/mp4 15M
Scotland – Faslane nuclear base>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
There were four arrested blockading Faslane this morning and a good presence with banners. Meanwhile Faslane Peace Camp hung a banner saying “Whatever the vote Trident is still wrong” on the Scottish Parliament building. 5 were arrested.
I’m sure there will be more to come today and if the Parliament vote to continue with nuclear madness then Direct Action will only increase until they see sense.
Scotland – Scottish parliament>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
At 8 o’clock this morning activists attempted to occupy the roof of the Scottish Parliment at Holyrood. Whilst four activists were arrested before they could reach the roof a lone activist managed to reach the canopy over the front of the building. He unfurled a banner reading, “WHATEVER THEY VOTE TRIDENT IS STILL WRONG”.
At around one o’clock the Police brought in a cherry picker and a specialist police climbing team. They proceeded to cut the banner down whilst the courageous climber did a flit accross the roof. He was unfortuanately arrested at the back of the Parliment building.
A supporter on the ground was also arrested for shouting support to the activist, apparantly he was “inciting a breach of the peace”.
All those arrested are to be held over night to appear in Edinburgh Sherriffs court tomorrow.
And from last few days:
Scotland – MP’s office>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
9 Mar 2007
This morning at 9:30am, pro-disarmament activists occupied Alistair Darling’s (MP Edinburgh West) constituency office on Rutland Square with a life-size inflatable Trident missile. The missile was inflated as much as it could be given the confined space, and left no room even to get to the door. The activists then, after they felt their voices had been heard, attempted to deflate the missile and get it up the stairs.
Unfortunately, Alistair Darling was not in his constituency office (although Sarah Boyack MSP was)- convenient given the fact that it should have been the last opportunity for constituents to lobby him ahead the Trident replacement vote. Very democratic, Darling. The activists then demonstrated outside the office with the missile fully inflated, blocking off the entrance to it.
The purpose of the action was to highlight the MP’s irresponsible siding with Tony Blair on the issue of replacing Trident, and an attempt to put pressure on him to vote according to his constituents’ wishes, as opposed to towing the party line.
The activists cover a broad range of anti-Trident groups and hoped to influence the parliamentary vote on Trident replacement due to take place on Wednesday 14th March. One activist has said: ‘If MPs are unwilling to acknowledge the opinions of their constituents, then constituents must make it a priority to express their views to their MPs – through direct action if necessary.’
Another activist commented: ‘The issue of Trident replacement is bigger than any MPs political agenda or careerist aspirations and bigger than Tony Blair’s legacy. Disarmament starts right here in the UK, we should be an example to follow not international bullies using nuclear weapons as bargaining tools.’
Join us at Faslane, 8am, Wednesday 14th March to demonstrate against Trident replacement and all nuclear weapons.
NO NEW NUCLEAR WEAPONS!
http://www.tridentvoteday.org.uk
http://www.faslane365.org
London – by Big Ben>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
13.3.2007
PRESS RELEASE
Greenpeace volunteers have scaled a crane next to Big Ben and hung a huge banner from it declaring ‘TONY loves WMD’.
The protest comes as MPs prepare to vote tomorrow on whether to renew Britain’s nuclear weapons system and commit Britain to nuclear arms for the next 50 years. The four volunteers aim to occupy the crane until the vote takes place. They hope to telephone as many MPs as possible urging them not to support new weapons of mass destruction.
One of the volunteers on the crane, Cat Dorey, said:’Trident is a cold war relic designed to destroy Russian cities. If MPs buckle under pressure from Tony Blair and vote to renew it, the repercussions will be felt around the world. We can’t oppose proliferation of WMD if we’re building them at home.’
She continued: ‘The government promised a national debate on Trident but this is being rushed through quicker than a shotgun wedding. The real threat is climate change and the billions earmarked for Trident could help make Britain the world’s first low carbon economy. We’re phoning MPs from the crane and asking them to respect the will of the country and vote against Tony Blair’s WMD programme.’
A recent poll commissioned by Channel Four found that three quarters of the public oppose government replacing Trident now.
A report from Greenpeace released last week estimated the true cost of building a new generation of nuclear weapons to replace Trident will be at least £76bn and could rise as high as £100 billion. These figures contrast starkly with the £15-20bn figure the government has previously stated will be the cost of Trident replacement. The report details how government has spun the figures by only including the design and building costs of the submarines and not the far higher price of maintaining and developing the nuclear weapons system over its lifetime.
The campaign to oppose new nuclear weapons systems has received support across the political spectrum
Kofi Annan says of Tony Blair’s policy: ‘They should not imagine that this will be accepted as compatible with the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty.’
Former shadow defence secretary Michael Ancram says: ‘The threat of using nuclear weapons is not only illogical but incredible’ ‘the need for genuinely independent alternative and flexible non-nuclear deterrence is if anything greater.’
Professor Stephen Hawking says: ‘To replace Trident would make it more difficult to get arms reduction. It would also be a waste of money because there are no circumstances in which we would use it independently.’
Mohammed ElBaradei, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog said in London recently: ‘Britain cannot expect other countries to refrain from acquiring nuclear weapons if it upgrades its trident nuclear weapons system.’
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>demos in other parts of country too – see indymedia.org.uk or elsewhere<<<<<<<<<<<
11.03.2007