whitelephant365

Here it is!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBd46KN5G30

Love and much green fluff, Christopher Chicken

xxx

Trident ‘a Big White Elephant’:

12 people arrested at nuclear base as part of a year long blockade calling for a decommissioning of nuclear weapons

40 people (most from N.Staffordshire) took part in two days of non-violent direct action at Faslane base on the Clyde, near Glasgow. Sunday 17th Dec saw a White Elephant themed parade to highlight the fact that the Trident Nuclear Weapon System that Blair is hoping will be recommissioned, it is a white elephant i.e., an expensive possession that is a financial burden to maintain and moreover, it is unwanted.

On Monday 18th Dec at 6.30am on a dark, cold, wet Scottish morning, 12 people (men and women aged between 21 and 60) were arrested for blocking the North gate of the base by locking onto each other with chains and padlocks in the middle of the road.

One arrestee stated, “I have never done anything like this before now, but I feel it is my duty as a citizen of the UK to come here and blockade the road to stop work going on which maintains this nuclear weapon system. The fact that the UK has such an indiscriminate system which has the potential to be at least 1000 x more powerful than the bomb that hit Hiroshima is unthinkable, it’s insane”.

Another arrestee pointed to the cost of recommissioning Trident – approximately £25 billion plus maintenance costs. She says she has taken part in this blockade because the Government should be investing in resources for the people of the region, rather than in Trident. She adds that the NHS is £millions in deficit, further and higher education are in disarray because of lack of funding and that we’ve seen army personnel died because of lack of equipment – including at least one soldier from RAF Stafford. In this context, she argues, the Government should not be invested in Weapons of Mass Destruction that not only have failed to stop terrorist attacks, but also will lead to the proliferation of nuclear weapons worldwide and consequently an uncertain and unsafe future for subsequent generations.

The 12 arrestees join a long list of people arrested as part of what is known as Faslane365. Other groups taking part include clergy, academics, Quakers, Greenham women, musicians, clown army and other ordinary people. So far, all people arrested have been released without charge. The blockades will continue through to Oct 2007 so there’s lots of time for others to get involved.

Background information
Faslane365 is a year long civil resistance initiative to apply pressure for the disarmament of Britain’s nuclear weapons. People taking part share the common demand that i) Trident must be taken out of deployment, ii) that government must make a timetable for dismantling the UK’s nuclear weapon system, and iii) that government should commit not to develop any new nuclear weapons.

Local group email: Staffordshire@faslane365.org
Local group blog: www.whiteelephant365.blog.co.uk
Faslane365 website: www.faslane365.org

TRIDENT Nuclear Weapon System
THE BIG WHITE ELEPHANT

‘A rare, expensive possession that is a financial burden to maintain’

Faslane365 is a year long national/international civil resistance initiative to apply critical public pressure for the disarmament of Britain’s nuclear weapons.

While the NHS and the British Education System currently lack adequate funding; while the public transport system is perhaps one of the worst in Europe; while Staffordshire has many areas in desperate need of regeneration; and whether we agree with military action or not, while the British Army stationed in Iraq has lacked adequate equipment with the result of the death of at least one soldier; in this current climate the British Government is considering committing £££ billions of tax payers money replacing the Trident Nuclear System based at Faslane, Scotland.
£££ billions as a deterrent – though it hasn’t prevented terrorist attacks so far.
£££ billions on a nuclear system that it likely won’t use.

WE HOPE IT WON’T BE USED BECAUSE IT IS A SYSTEM THAT IS POTENTIALLY OVER 1000 Xs MORE POWERFUL THAN THE BOMB USED ON HIROSHIMA.

A BIG WHITE ELEPHANT
‘An article, ornament, or household utensil no longer wanted by its owner’

Come and join people from Staffordshire on a two day pantomime-style blockade at Faslane as part of Faslane365. Help us show that we want a nuclear-free future; one where the British Government invests in resources for its people instead of this BIG WHITE ELEPHANT!

For more information go to the website: www.faslane365.org.

To contact the local group e-mail: Staffordshire@faslane365.org