Congratulations again to everyone who came from far and wide to blockade Aldermaston and support in various ways. It was a really successful blockade, sending a very powerful message to the British Government and the international community. Good luck to everyone who is in court for defending your beliefs and trying to save lives - our thoughts are with you.
The entire front page of this month's edition of Peace News is dedicated to the blockade:
http://www.peacenews.info/issues/2503/25030101.html
Showing posts with label media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label media. Show all posts
Tuesday, 11 November 2008
British Government's AWE-ful lies continue (updated 11/11)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/nov/04/houseofcommons-lords
Yesterday in Parliament:
"[Defence Secretary John] Hutton denied the atomic weapons establishment in Aldermaston was being used for the development of new nuclear weapons. But he said it was "vitally necessary" for Britain to maintain the "minimum nuclear deterrent"."
This latest ministerial denial is at best exceedingly disingenuous and at worst an outright lie. Public documents such as AWE's own Site Development Strategy Plan reveal that at Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston and Burghfield, massive multi-billion pound developments - on the scale of Heathrow Terminal 5, according to AWE itself - have recently been constructed, are under development and are in the pipeline. These include a uranium enrichment plant planned for 2009, the state-of-the-art Orion laser still under construction, hydronamics and materials science laboratories, the installation of a new supercomputer and the massive Gemini complex to house well over a thousand new staff that include a number of warhead designers. Are we to believe that this massive expenditure of taxpayer's money is for the purpose of making strawberry ice cream?
In a separate written parliamentary reply, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support Quentin Davies revealed that capital expenditure at AWE increased from Pnds 171 million (Dlrs 350 m) in 2005-06, to Pnds 302 m in 2006-07 and to Pnds 500 m in 2007-08. (Source: IRNA)
Also noteworthy is the fact that John Hutton is the Labour MP for Barrow & Furness in Cumbria, where Britain's Trident-armed Vanguard-class nuclear submarines were built and their planned replacements are likely to be built (by corrupt arms giant BAE Systems), as well as the Astute-class hunter-killer submarines that escort them on patrol. Thus one could argue that the Secretary of State has a vested interest in the renewal or replacement of the Trident system.
See also:
Britain plans to spend £3bn on new nuclear warheads - The Guardian - 25 July 2008
Secret plan to replace nuclear warheads - Parliament misled - CND press release
Revealed: UK develops secret nuclear warhead - The Times
Britain in top-secret work on new atomic warhead - The Herald
So, minister, are we developing new nuclear weapons or not? - The Independent
Aldermaston recruits scientists 'to work on nuclear warheads' - The Independent
UK might seek new nuclear warheads - NTI
No new warhead yet, British official say - NTI
UK denies developing new nuclear warheads - IRNA
AWE Site Development Strategy Update 2005 - official public information leaflet
Yesterday in Parliament:
"[Defence Secretary John] Hutton denied the atomic weapons establishment in Aldermaston was being used for the development of new nuclear weapons. But he said it was "vitally necessary" for Britain to maintain the "minimum nuclear deterrent"."
This latest ministerial denial is at best exceedingly disingenuous and at worst an outright lie. Public documents such as AWE's own Site Development Strategy Plan reveal that at Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston and Burghfield, massive multi-billion pound developments - on the scale of Heathrow Terminal 5, according to AWE itself - have recently been constructed, are under development and are in the pipeline. These include a uranium enrichment plant planned for 2009, the state-of-the-art Orion laser still under construction, hydronamics and materials science laboratories, the installation of a new supercomputer and the massive Gemini complex to house well over a thousand new staff that include a number of warhead designers. Are we to believe that this massive expenditure of taxpayer's money is for the purpose of making strawberry ice cream?
In a separate written parliamentary reply, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support Quentin Davies revealed that capital expenditure at AWE increased from Pnds 171 million (Dlrs 350 m) in 2005-06, to Pnds 302 m in 2006-07 and to Pnds 500 m in 2007-08. (Source: IRNA)
Also noteworthy is the fact that John Hutton is the Labour MP for Barrow & Furness in Cumbria, where Britain's Trident-armed Vanguard-class nuclear submarines were built and their planned replacements are likely to be built (by corrupt arms giant BAE Systems), as well as the Astute-class hunter-killer submarines that escort them on patrol. Thus one could argue that the Secretary of State has a vested interest in the renewal or replacement of the Trident system.
See also:
Britain plans to spend £3bn on new nuclear warheads - The Guardian - 25 July 2008
Secret plan to replace nuclear warheads - Parliament misled - CND press release
Revealed: UK develops secret nuclear warhead - The Times
Britain in top-secret work on new atomic warhead - The Herald
So, minister, are we developing new nuclear weapons or not? - The Independent
Aldermaston recruits scientists 'to work on nuclear warheads' - The Independent
UK might seek new nuclear warheads - NTI
No new warhead yet, British official say - NTI
UK denies developing new nuclear warheads - IRNA
AWE Site Development Strategy Update 2005 - official public information leaflet
Thursday, 30 October 2008
Media coverage
Like this blog? *Digg it!*
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Photos
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Aldermaston Big Blockade web albums
More photos courtesy of Europe's Nuclear Heritage
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Links to Mainstream & Independent Media Coverage
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National & International
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Peace News (front page feature)
Indymedia UK front page feature
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Morning Star (front page feature)
BBC - 2nd report - "The arrests were made after dozens of people gathered at Aldermaston to mark World Disarmament Week." - Actually there were probably at least 300 campaigners present. It seems numeracy isn't the BBC's strong point when it comes to demonstrations. Probably taught maths by the police.
Ekklesia - Peace protesters successfully blockade Atomic Weapons Establishment
Earlier related event - Bishop and ordinands in lamentation at Aldermaston - Inspire magazine
Indymedia Ireland - Dublin Catholic Worker solidarity vigil
-Indymedia Ireland - Publicity for Dublin vigil
Common Dreams (Guardian reprint)
Climate Ark (Guardian reprint)
Rinf.com (Morning Sta
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Local
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Newbury Today / Newbury Weekly News
(excellent article, includes gallery with 16 photos)
Reading Evening Post / Get Reading website
-Imbecilic commentary with a couple of sensible readers' comments
Basingstoke Gazette / This is Hampshire website
Rochdale Online (featuring
Cornish Guardian / This is Cornwall website (featuring
Chester Chronicle (featuring Joan Meredith)
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Guardian report
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/28/anti-nuclear-aldermaston-protest-disarmament
More than 30 arrests at Aldermaston anti-nuclear protest
More than 30 arrests at Aldermaston anti-nuclear protest
Richard Norton-Taylor
The Guardian
Tuesday October 28 2008
The Guardian
Tuesday October 28 2008
More than 30 people were arrested yesterday during one of the biggest anti-nuclear protests at the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston for 10 years. The gates of the site were blocked as people attached themselves to concrete blocks which had to be broken apart by police. Others climbed scaffolding or lay in the road at the demonstration by about 400 people to mark the start of the UN World Disarmament Week.
They were protesting against a decision to modernise the Aldermaston plant in Berkshire and plans to develop a new warhead for nuclear missiles that the government wants to buy to replace the Trident system.
The government plans to spend nearly £6bn on Aldermaston over the next three years. Ministers claim the money is needed to preserve Britain's ability to manufacture nuclear warheads safely; they say a decision has not yet been taken to develop new, "more usable" warheads with the help of American knowhow.
The Guardian revealed earlier this year that one of the MoD's senior officials told a private meeting of arms companies that a decision to replace the existing stockpile of nuclear warheads had already been taken despite ministers repeatedly denying there were any plans to replace them and insisting that no decision would be taken until the next parliament, probably sometime after 2010.
Daniel Viesnik, spokesman for Trident Ploughshare, said: "The government does not seem to take notice of anything else other than direct action. We are opposed to the development of a new generation of warheads and protesters feel more extreme measures like [yesterday's] have to be used to get attention."
Kate Hudson, chair of CND, said the protest showed there was a strong increase in public support for nuclear disarmament.
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More than 30 arrests at Aldermaston anti-nuclear protest
This article appeared in the Guardian on Tuesday October 28 2008 on p9 of the UK news section. It was last updated at 00.02 on October 28 2008.
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2008
Morning Star front page
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Hundreds blockade WMD base
(Monday 27 October 2008)
DEFIANT: Protesters barring the way into Aldermaston on Monday. pic: CND
HUNDREDS of peace protesters blockaded one of Britain's secretive WMD sites on Monday to expose the billions being wasted on nuclear bombs while the country plummets into recession.
Demonstrators descended on the Aldermaston nuclear weapons factory in Berkshire under cover of darkness just before dawn, to blockade the gates before security forces surrounding the base could react.
Peace campaigners from Norway to Switzerland joined Trident Ploughshares and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament activists to link themselves together with chains and concrete tubes before police tried to drag them away.
CND chairwoman Kate Hudson explained that demonstrators had come to "highlight the existence of Aldermaston's Atomic Weapons Establishment and the work which goes on there.
"The fact that our government is planning to spend billions of pounds on a replacement to Trident, prioritising nuclear bombs over health care and job creation at a time of economic crisis, needs to be exposed and condemned," she stressed.
Aldermaston is where Trident submarine-based nuclear missiles are designed and built.
The government has pledged to spend £76 billion - handing over much of it to private weapons firms - to upgrade the weapons of mass destruction during the next few years.
Protester Dan Cole said that the blockade was intended to highlight that private companies "are making billions in profit at the taxpayer's expense through military spending.
"It is a sad reflection on our society that people need to take this action in order to have their voices heard," he said, as police arrested at least 33 of the protesters.
Trident Ploughshares spokesman Dan Viesnik added: "This is the biggest direct action that Aldermaston has seen for a decade and highlights the strength of feeling from the public against Trident and the government's plans to upgrade the missiles.
"These weapons and the massive multibillion-pound expansion of this nuclear arms factory are unnecessary expenses in the current financial climate and contradict the government's stated commitment to disarmament," the Trident Ploughshares spokesman said.
"We demand that the new developments are ceased and the whole Trident system taken out of service without delay."
Mr Viesnik urged the government to "make Aldermaston safe so it will be fit for use as an international centre of expertise on warhead decommissioning and verification as part of a global nuclear weapons convention."
But Mr Viesnik warned: "Unless the government listens, they can expect more of the same direct action."
Yesterday's blockade follows a huge CND demonstration on Easter Monday, when thousands of protesters surrounded the weapons factory to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1958 peace march from London to Aldermaston.
Ms Hudson said that campaigners would continue to press the government to keep its commitment to global nuclear disarmament.
"Britain's security should be based on peace and justice, not war and nukes," the CND chairwoman insisted.
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