15 FEBRUARY 2010
Women’s Successful Blockade at Nuclear Weapons Factory
Today forty women successfully blockaded one of the main gates of the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston. Vehicles of base employees and police were prevented from entering or leaving the gate from 7 am till 10 am. Our non-violent act of peaceful protest was part of a blockade of all seven gates of this nuclear weapons ‘factory’ to protest against the Government’s plan to renew and modernize the submarines, missiles and warheads of the Trident nuclear weapons system, at an estimated cost of £97 billion.
Showing posts with label press release. Show all posts
Showing posts with label press release. Show all posts
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
Monday, 15 February 2010
Press release
Hundreds blockade nuclear bomb factory
Campaigners call for disarmament of Trident and abolition of nuclear weapons
Image credit: D. Viesnik (CopyLeft)
More images from the blockade: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cnduk
An estimated eight hundred campaigners from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and a number of other countries have joined a blockade of every gate of the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) at Aldermaston, Berkshire, England. [1] The blockade started at 7am.
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)
Monday, 27 October 2008
The blockade is underway
Trident Ploughshares Press Release
27 October 2008 - For immediate release
A major blockade and protest is underway of the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) at Aldermaston near Reading to mark UN Disarmament Week [1]. The Aldermaston Big Blockade, organised by Trident Ploughshares [2] and supported by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) [3], Block the Builders [4] and the Aldermaston Women’s Peace Camp [5] is seeking to disrupt work on existing Trident nuclear warheads and the facilities that will enable the development of their successors at Britain’s nuclear weapons research laboratory.
As of 7:30am, access to several gates has been blocked off by protesters lying in the road attached together with superglue, concrete blocks and arm tubes. Veteran campaigner Pat Arrowsmith, one of the organisers of the first London to Aldermaston march is sitting in the entrance to Tadley Gate. The A340 on Paices Hall, heading north to Aldermaston village has also been blockaded by protesters, near Home Office Gate.
Several hundred peace campaigners from as far afield as Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Portugal, Scotland, Wales, Bradford, Sheffield, Manchester and Plymouth have converged on Aldermaston for the biggest day of direct action against Trident in the UK since last October’s Big Blockade of Faslane naval base in Scotland, the home of Britain’s fleet of nuclear-armed submarines. [6] Today’s action builds upon CND’s Easter Monday demonstration at Aldermaston, the biggest to be held at the site for two decades. On that occasion, around 5,000 campaigners surrounded the site to mark the 50th anniversary of the first march to the base from London. [7]
Christian CND, having completed a 10-hour overnight prayer vigil at Tadley Gate, is now carrying out a procession of witness around the base in support of the blockade. [8] A monk and nun from Nipponzan Myohoji, a Japanese Buddhist order strongly opposed to nuclear weapons, are also in attendance, having walked from the London Peace Pagoda.
As well as calling for an end to Trident and the construction of new facilities that include a uranium enrichment plant planned for 2009, the campaigners want to highlight urgent concerns regarding public health and safety and environmental contamination, especially in light of recent revelations of severe flooding at AWE’s nearby Burghfield site last summer which resulted in suspension of all live nuclear work for nine months, and numerous other ongoing safety issues. [9]
Daniel Viesnik from Trident Ploughshares said, “The massive multi-billion pound expansion of AWE, continued deployment of Trident and its planned replacement are unnecessary expenses in the current financial climate and contradict and undermine the Government’s stated commitment to global abolition of nuclear weapons. All this is hypocritical, destabilising and in breach of the UK’s disarmament obligations. Trident is a serious hazard to life, health and the environment and there can never be a lawful or moral use for it. We as concerned citizens have therefore called a peaceful blockade during World Disarmament Week to demand that the new developments are ceased and the whole Trident system taken out of service without delay. We would rather see this facility made 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, in line with Government proposals.”
Musician and songwriter David Ferrard [10], who has travelled down from Scotland to perform for the blockade, said, “I have participated and sung at several blockades outside the gates of Faslane in Scotland, where the Trident submarines are based. I thought it was time to travel to the source of the weapons of mass destruction and show solidarity with my English neighbours.”
ENDS
Notes to Editor:
1. UN Disarmament Week – 24-30 October
http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/disarmament/
2. Trident Ploughshares is a campaign to disarm the UK Trident nuclear weapons system in a nonviolent, open, peaceful and fully accountable manner.
For further information and to arrange interviews, contact Daniel Viesnik: 07506 234 091 aldermaston_blockade_media_team@yahoo.co.uk
http://www.tridentploughshares.org
3. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is one of Europe’s biggest single-issue peace campaigns, with over 35,000 members in the UK. CND campaigns for the abolition of all nuclear weapons everywhere. Contact Ben Soffa, CND Press Officer: 0207 7002350 or 07968 420859 http://www.cnduk.org
4. Block the Builders http://www.blockthebuilders.org.uk
5. Aldermaston Women’s Peace Camp http://www.aldermaston.net
6. Faslane 365, a year-long blockade of Faslane naval base, Scotland http://www.faslane365.org
7. CND The Bomb Stops Here event, Easter Monday 2008 http://www.cnduk.org/aldermaston
8. Details of Christian CND’s vigil and procession http://ccnd.gn.apc.org/events.html
9. Reports on severe flooding at AWE Burghfield in July 2007 and other safety issues:
SWAMPED!
The devastating impact of the July 2007 floods on Britain’s nuclear weapons factories
Nuclear Information Service report
http://nuclearinfo.org/view/nuclear_sites/accidents/a1952
Flood threat to nuclear arms site - Channel 4 News
http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/environment/flood+threat+to+nuclear+arms+site/2513357
Britain's nuclear weapons factory 'nearly overwhelmed' by flood - The Telegraph
Trident plant shut down in safety alert - The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/25/nuclear.defence
10. David Ferrard’s website http://davidferrard.com
11. In March 2007, Westminster voted in principle to retain nuclear weapons and to build new submarines from which to launch them. To date, there has been no vote in parliament on the future of warheads. However, Ministry of Defence (MoD) documents obtained by CND in July 2008 confirmed that contrary to repeated ministerial denials, the government has already made the decision to replace the warheads.
CND press release http://www.cnduk.org/index.php/press-releases/trident/secret-plan-to-replace-nuclear-warheads-parliament-misled.html
12. The MoD has already committed billions of pounds to a massive ongoing construction and recruitment programme at AWE, where Britain’s nuclear warheads are researched, developed and maintained. AWE first outlined its expansion proposals, which it claimed would be on the scale of Heathrow Terminal 5, in its 2002 Site Development Strategy Plan. Building work commenced - on the Orion laser facility - in 2005 and continues to this day.
Trident replacement - a short chronology
http://www.aldermaston.net/campaigns/tng/chronology.php
AWE site development strategy plan (2005 update) http://www.awe.co.uk/Contents/Publication/1567930Site%20Development%20Strategy%202005.pdf
13. All images CopyLeft 2008 D. Viesnik (please credit any reuse)
Thursday, 23 October 2008
Latest Press Release
Campaigners to blockade nuclear bomb factory to mark World Disarmament Week
Trident Ploughshares Press Release - 23 October 2008
Trident Ploughshares [1] has called a major blockade of the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) at Aldermaston near Reading during UN World Disarmament Week [2], on Monday 27 October, from 6:30am. The Aldermaston Big Blockade is supported by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) [3], Block the Builders [4] and the Aldermaston Women’s Peace Camp [5] and aims to disrupt work on existing Trident nuclear warheads and their successors.
Hundreds of peace campaigners are expected to converge on Aldermaston in what looks set to be the biggest day of direct action against Trident in the UK since the Big Blockade of Faslane naval base in Scotland last October. [6] On Easter Monday, around 5,000 people surrounded Aldermaston as CND marked the 50th anniversary of the first march to the base from London. [7]
Christian CND is planning an overnight vigil at Tadley Gate from 9pm on Sunday 26 October and a daytime procession around the base on Monday in solidarity with the blockade. [8] Joining them will be monks and nuns from Nipponzan Myohoji, a Japanese Buddhist order strongly opposed to nuclear weapons, who plan to walk to Aldermaston from their Peace Pagoda in Milton Keynes.
In addition to calling for an end to Trident, campaigners want to highlight urgent concerns about public health and safety and environmental contamination, especially in light of recent revelations of severe flooding at AWE’s nearby Burghfield site last summer and numerous other ongoing safety issues. [9]
Daniel Viesnik from Trident Ploughshares said, “The massive expansion of AWE, continued deployment of Trident and its planned replacement are unnecessary expenses in the current financial climate and contradict and undermine the Government’s stated commitment to global abolition of nuclear weapons. This is hypocritical, destabilising and in breach of the UK’s disarmament obligations. Trident is a serious hazard to life, health and the environment and there can never be a lawful or moral use for it. We as concerned citizens have therefore called a peaceful blockade during World Disarmament Week to demand that the new developments are ceased and the whole Trident system taken out of service without delay. We would rather see this facility made safe so it will be fit for use for warhead decommissioning as part of a global Nuclear Weapons Convention, in line with Government proposals.”
Musician and songwriter David Ferrard [10], who is travelling down from Scotland, said, “I have participated and sung at several blockades outside the gates of Faslane in Scotland, where the Trident submarines are based. I thought it was time to travel to the source of the weapons of mass destruction and show solidarity with my English neighbours.”
ENDS
Notes:
1. Trident Ploughshares is a campaign to disarm the UK Trident nuclear weapons system in a nonviolent, open, peaceful and fully accountable manner.
For media enquiries and to arrange interviews, contact Daniel Viesnik, press liaison: 07506 234 091 aldermaston_blockade_media_team [at] yahoo.co.uk
http://www.tridentploughshares.org
2. UN Disarmament Week – 24-30 October
http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/disarmament/
3. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is one of Europe’s biggest single-issue peace campaigns, with over 35,000 members in the UK. CND campaigns for the abolition of all nuclear weapons everywhere. Contact Ben Soffa, CND Press Officer: 0207 7002350 or 07968 420859 http://www.cnduk.org
4. Block the Builders http://www.blockthebuilders.org.uk
5. Aldermaston Women’s Peace Camp http://www.aldermaston.net
6. Faslane 365, a year-long blockade of Faslane naval base, Scotland http://www.faslane365.org
7. CND The Bomb Stops Here event, Easter Monday 2008 http://www.cnduk.org/aldermaston
8. Details of Christian CND’s vigil and procession http://ccnd.gn.apc.org/events.html
9. Reports on severe flooding at AWE Burghfield in July 2007 and other safety issues:
SWAMPED!
The devastating impact of the July 2007 floods on Britain’s nuclear weapons factories
Nuclear Information Service report
http://nuclearinfo.org/view/nuclear_sites/accidents/a1952
Flood threat to nuclear arms site - Channel 4 News
http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/environment/flood+threat+to+nuclear+arms+site/2513357
Britain's nuclear weapons factory 'nearly overwhelmed' by flood - The Telegraph
Trident plant shut down in safety alert - The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/25/nuclear.defence
10. David Ferrard’s website http://davidferrard.com
11. In March 2007, Westminster voted in principle to retain nuclear weapons and to build new submarines from which to launch them. To date, there has been no vote in parliament on the future of warheads. However, Ministry of Defence (MoD) documents obtained by CND in July 2008 confirmed that contrary to repeated ministerial denials, the government has already made the decision to replace the warheads.
CND press release http://www.cnduk.org/index.php/press-releases/trident/secret-plan-to-replace-nuclear-warheads-parliament-misled.html
12. The MoD has already committed billions of pounds to a massive ongoing construction and recruitment programme at AWE, where Britain’s nuclear warheads are researched, developed and maintained. AWE first outlined its expansion proposals, which it claimed would be on the scale of Heathrow Terminal 5, in its 2002 Site Development Strategy Plan. Building work commenced - on the Orion laser facility - in 2005 and continues to this day.
Trident replacement - a short chronology
http://www.aldermaston.net/campaigns/tng/chronology.php
AWE site development strategy plan (2005 update) http://www.awe.co.uk/Contents/Publication/1567930Site%20Development%20Strategy%202005.pdf
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
Aldermaston Big Blockade - Press Release
Campaigners to disrupt illegal work on weapons of mass destruction in Big Blockade of Britain’s nuclear bomb factory
Trident Ploughshares [1] has called a major non-violent blockade of Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston, near Reading on Monday 27 October 2008 , from 6:30am. The event, which is supported by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) [2], Block the Builders [3] and the Aldermaston Women’s Peace Camp [4], is aimed at disrupting work on existing Trident warheads and their successors.
Hundreds of peace campaigners from around the country and beyond are expected to converge on Aldermaston in what is likely to be the biggest day of direct action against Trident nuclear weapons since the Faslane Big Blockade on 1 October 2007 . On that occasion, 171 arrests were made as campaigners celebrated the end of a year-long peaceful blockade of the naval base in Scotland , which resulted in 1150 arrests of concerned citizens from all walks of life resisting nuclear weapons. [5]
On Easter Monday 2008, an estimated 5,000 people surrounded AWE Aldermaston as CND marked the 50th anniversary of the historic first London to Aldermaston march. It was the biggest demonstration seen at the site for two decades. [6] Trident Ploughshares are keen to build on these recent successes.
In March 2007, Westminster voted in principle to retain nuclear weapons and to build new submarines from which to launch them. To date, there has been no vote in parliament on the future of warheads. However, Ministry of Defence (MoD) documents obtained by CND in July 2008 confirmed that contrary to repeated ministerial denials, the government has already made the decision to replace the warheads. [7].
The MoD has already committed billions of pounds to a massive ongoing construction and recruitment programme at AWE, where Britain ’s nuclear warheads are researched, developed and maintained [8]. AWE first outlined its expansion proposals, which it claimed would be on the scale of Heathrow Terminal 5, in its 2002 Site Development Strategy Plan [9]. Building work commenced - on the Orion laser - in 2005 and continues to this day.
A spokesperson for Trident Ploughshares says, “We are unsurprised but nevertheless disappointed at the level of dishonesty and disingenuousness of ministers. The expansion of AWE, continued deployment of Trident and plans to replace it contradict and undermine the government’s stated support for global abolition of nuclear weapons. This is hypocritical, destabilising and breaches disarmament obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which Britain signed 40 years ago. There can never be a lawful or moral use for Trident, so the whole system must be taken out of service immediately. We would rather see AWE used for warhead decommissioning as part of a global Nuclear Weapons Convention, in line with government proposals.”
ends
Notes to Editor:
1. Trident Ploughshares is a campaign to disarm the UK Trident nuclear weapons system in a non-violent, open, peaceful and fully accountable manner.
Press enquiries:
aldermaston_blockade_media_team [at] yahoo.co.uk
tel: 07506 234 091
http://www.tridentploughshares.org
2. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is one of Europe ’s biggest single-issue peace campaigns, with over 35,000 members in the UK . CND campaigns for the abolition of all nuclear weapons everywhere. Contact Ben Soffa, CND Press Officer: 0207 7002350 or 07968 420859 http://www.cnduk.org
3. Block the Builders http://www.blockthebuilders.org.uk
4. Aldermaston Women’s Peace Camp http://www.aldermaston.net
5. Faslane 365, a year-long blockade of Faslane naval base, Scotland http://www.faslane365.org
6. CND The Bomb Stops Here event, Easter Monday 2008 http://www.cnduk.org/aldermaston
7. CND press release http://www.cnduk.org/index.php/press-releases/trident/secret-plan-to-replace-nuclear-warheads-parliament-misled.html
8. Atomic Weapons Establishment official site http://www.awe.co.uk
http://www.banthebomb.org/magazine/jan08/aldermaston.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/revealed-blairs-nuclear-bombshell-511255.html
9. AWE site development strategy plan (2005 update) http://www.awe.co.uk/Contents/Publication/1567930Site%20Development%20Strategy%202005.pdf
10. Other relevant links:
The UK ’s secret warhead programme was reported by Ian Bruce in ‘The Herald’, 4 September, 2007 http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.1661681.0.0.php
However, the existence of such a programme was denied in a written answer to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Defence, Des Browne MP in response to a question by Dai Davies MP (12 September, 2007)
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2007-09-12a.155195.h
See also: ‘So, minister, are we developing new nuclear weapons or not? -
Scientists say they are designing a new warhead design, despite government denials’
by Marie Woolf , ‘The Independent’, 29 October, 2006
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article1938370.ece
Some links providing background to the ongoing developments and recruitment drive at AWE:
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,4434696-102285,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,,1690630,00.html
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article1904974.ece
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/25/nuclear.defence
http://politics..guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329744446-110247,00.html
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