Nobel Women's Initiative

Arrested at Faslane Trident Nuclear Base, Saturday 9th December, 2006.

On Friday 8th December, 2006 the ‘Make trident History’ group assembled at Belfast city Hall at 4 p.m.,    After a silence for all those killed in Iraq and all wars our group traveled, by boat, to Scotland.  We traveled  via Glasgow to Helensborough, and onto Faslane Naval base, where the 365 Faslane Peace Camp is established.   Our group of 17 peace activists consisted of 7 men and 1O women.  There were 2 from USA, 1 German, 1 Dublin and the remainder from Northern Ireland, mostly Belfast. 

Faslane, 30 miles north of Glasgow,  is where the British Trident Nuclear Submarines are based.   Our purpose was to support the 365Trident campaign in its effort to  close
Faslane Trident base, and get rid of the British Nuclear weapons.   Several of the group held vigil throughout the night at the South Gate of the Naval Trident nuclear base.

On Saturday 9th December,  we moved up to the North Gate Naval base, put up our banners and started our two day protests.   There was a large contingent of Policemen  guarding the main entrance to the Naval base and we get could not get near the main gate.  It had been decided that the 5 people in our group, who had agreed to risk arrest, should carry out their nonviolent civil disobedience  action after lunch.

At 2 p.m., the 5 persons carried out their act of nonviolent civil disobedience.    We all ‘locked on’ and blocked the main road outside the Trident Naval base by lying on the roadside.  The Police  tried to remove us.  They cautioned us inviting us to move voluntarily but when we would not, brought in the team to cut the ‘lock-ons’.  After 45 minutes we were cut loose and each searched and taken to another place for formal arresting.   We were  charged with ‘Breach of peace’ and ‘resisting arrest’ and taken to Clydesbank Police Station, in Glasgow.   In Clydesbank Police station the five of us were given separate cells, but later in the day the three women were put together in one cell.   Those arrested were Miriam Turley, Ann Patterson, Mark Chapman, Phil and myself.   We were treated  well, given  hot meals, tea,   and magazines to read.   The hardest part of the whole experience was being woken up during the night and listening to several men and women who had been arrested and  brought into the Police station.  They were  alternatively crying, some shouting abuse, and I thought how fearful and freightening are lonely police and prison cells, and surely there is a better way to treat human beings? as the whole system is so scary and freightening to most people.

It was Sunday 10th December, Human Rights Day, and my thoughts went to prisoners in cells, all over the world, particularly  in place like Guantanamo bay, having their human rights abused by  Governments.   My thoughts also went to the Nobel Peace Laureate Aung Sang Suu Kyi,in Burma,  and Mordechai Vanunu, in Israel, both of whom are held against their wishes in their respective countries.    My 22 hour imprisonment for exercising my citizens right to say ‘no’ to the British Government genocidal policy of Nuclear crime, is little in comparison to Suu Kyi’s  ll years held in her  home for calling for Human rights and democracy in Burma, and Mordechai Vanunu, the Israeli Nuclear Whistleblower’s 20th years held within Israel, simply for telling that Israel has a nuclear weapons programme. 

The next morning at noon we were released and joined our friends to return home. Later that day a group of Trident Ploughshares arrived from Sweden to continue the Faslane 365 protest, and we heard the next morning 7 of them had been arrested for nonviolent civil disobedience.  To date over 3,000 people have been arrested for nonviolent civil disobedience and many thousands  more protested peacefully against Britain’s weapons of mass destruction based in the lough in the heart of Scotland.

This anti-nuclear campaign is increasing and groups are coming from around the world to support the 365 Trident campaign.  I would encourage people to carry out, if they are able to do so, nonviolent civil disobedience.   People might describe us as ‘trouble makers’ but as one lady said to me ‘there has never been change without some sort of trouble’ good on you, keep it up!!