Around thirteen activists from anti-nuclear direct action group Trident Ploughshares took the police by surprise when they blockaded Devonport naval dockyard, near the centre of Plymouth, in the early hours of Friday, 22 August, 2008. One man was arrested. The Royal Navy base is used to refit nuclear submarines, including the Trident nuclear missile-carrying Vanguard fleet based at Faslane, Scotland.
The blockaders, mainly from the local Tamarian affinity group and the London-based Muriel Lesters, obstructed the main access road into the site at Camel’s Head. Dockyard workers arriving in vehicles were prevented from entering for half an hour, from around 7.30am on the last working day before the Bank Holiday weekend. The activists used two long metal ladders, a lock-on tube with a chain attached, bicycle chains, a wheelchair and their bodies to completely block the incoming carriageway.
Police eventually arrived and had to divert traffic for a further hour, until the police cutting team finally arrived. At this point, the blockaders and their supporters agreed to leave, given that most workers had already entered the base. They were able to keep all their banners, ladders and other blockading equipment.
After releasing himself from an arm lock-on tube (which had been passed through one ladder and also chained to the central crash barrier), Daniel Viesnik, 33, from London got up and then lay down again on the red line marking the limit of the Ministry of Defence property. He was subsequently joined by Irene Willis. After ignoring police requests to move, Mr Viesnik was arrested and carried away to a van. He was taken to Charles Cross police station and held for around three hours before being charged with obstruction of the highway and released. He was bailed to appear before Plymouth Magistrates’ on 5th September.
On Saturday morning, the group tied anti-Trident banners to prominent bridges and roundabouts on roads going into Plymouth. Later, in the city centre, they dressed themselves in white ‘radiation suits’ and some of them attracted the attention of passers-by with a ‘die-in’, their ‘corpses’ sprinkled with ‘nuclear fallout’ ash. Others leafleted shoppers and engaged interested locals and soldiers from the nearby Territorial Army centre in dialogue about the nuclear menace on their doorstep and proposals to turn the site into a nuclear submarine graveyard.
One of the blockaders said, “Plans to replace or upgrade the Trident system contravene our international treaty obligations, which is hypocritical and illegal. We would like to see the British government lead by example in pushing for global abolition of nuclear weapons and stop wasting billions of pounds of public money on these instruments of mass murder. Local workers should be retrained to use their skills for more peaceful purposes.”
Friday’s blockade was the top story reported on local BBC TV news and was also covered by local ITV news, local radio and the Plymouth Herald newspaper.
Trident Ploughshares is committed to disarming the UK Trident nuclear weapons system in a non-violent, open, peaceful and fully accountable manner.
The group is organising a Big Blockade at Aldermaston, Berkshire – Britain’s nuclear bomb factory – supported by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), on Monday, 27 October, meeting on 26 October. Check the Trident Ploughshares website for further details and to request a briefing pack. Arrestable blockaders and non-arrestable supporters are needed. There will be a weekend of non-violent direct action training in preparation for this action on 20-21 September in London. Newcomers are warmly invited to attend (it is also possible to attend the training just for one day).
Mainstream media coverage of Devonport blockade:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7576964.stm (video)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7576219.stm
http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Nuclear-protest-dockyard/article-283835-detail/article.html
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Non-violence training workshop 20-21 September
There will be a weekend workshop of Trident Ploughshares nonviolence
training, focussing on preparation for the October 27 Aldermaston Big Blockade at Walthamstow Friend’s Meeting House, 1a Jewel Road, off Hoe Street, Walthamstow, London E17 4QU on Saturday and Sunday 20th and 21st September.
The full weekend is primarily for people thinking of becoming members of Trident Ploughshares and making an ongoing commitment. People just wishing to prepare for the blockade are welcome to attend for the full weekend, but may also choose to attend on the Saturday only.
There is no charge for the workshop, but participants are asked to contribute towards expenses if they are able to.
Contact Alison to register and for more details:
E-mail: alison.crane [at] ntlworld.com
Tel: 01785 611 768 or 0845 4588 362 or 07886 972 319