Christian peace campaigners blockade Scottish nuclear base

activists put banner on fence

Christian peace campaigners took part in a blockade of Faslane nuclear submarine base in Scotland yesterday. Four members of Trident Ploughshares blocked the North Gate of the base while six Peace Campers blocked the South Gate by locking themselves together. Four days earlier Scotland elected an Scottish National Party government which has promised to remove Trident from Scottish soil. The protesters are asking them to keep their election committments.

Just four days after the Scottish elections the activists called for the anti-Trident SNP government to keep its commitments and demand immediate disarmament of Trident and a global ban on nuclear weapons.

Speaking on behalf of Trident Ploughshares Janet Fenton said: "Our actions here are not illegal, and are in support of the new Scottish Government. Once again the Scottish people have voted overwhelmingly in opposition to nuclear weapons. This time, there is a clear parliamentary majority for a single party with a manifesto promise to put pressure the UK Government to remove these illegal weapons from Scotland.

"We are seeking prompt action from the SNP, a party that has supported our actions in the past."

Sandra White MSP (SNP) called for direct action for disarmament at Hiroshima Day remembrance events in August. We are here today to remind the new administration of the strength of feeling and the support that it can expect from the Scottish people in requesting an opinion from the Lord Advocate on the legality of Trident in relation to the Scotland Act requirement for it to uphold international humanitarian law and calling on the UK Government to remove Trident and enter negotiations with other powers to establish a nuclear weapons convention to ban them globally.

She said: "Scotland has the obligation and the right, under the terms of the Scotland Act, to refuse to be complicit with the possession of Trident. It constitutes a threat to use it, and using it would inevitably kill hundreds of thousands of civilians indiscriminately and cause environmental devastation that would last for thousands of years. This is illegal. as well as immoral, wasteful and undemocratic."

In June Faslane Peace Camp will mark its continuous presence on the road outside Faslane for 29 years. The two groups, together with Helensburgh CND have maintained a peaceful weekly vigil at the North gate of Faslane for more than three years.

Less than a month ago, Cardinal Keith O'Brien lead an Easter Witness for Peace at Faslane which was attended by more than 200 people.