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CND IN THE NEWS
CND in the News: 8-14 April
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1 Peace march plan 'irresponsible'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/berkshire/3607653.stm
Organisers of a planned anti-nuclear march have behaved irresponsibly
by not applying for road closures, police say. They warn that the Aldermaston
2004 march, which starts on Good Friday, is in danger of putting demonstrators
and motorists at risk.
Thames Valley Police say they are concerned as the march will travel the
A4, one of the region's busiest roads.
Organisers say they will work with police to do all they can to ensure
marchers' safety.
The march, against a new generation of nuclear weapons, leaves London
on Friday after a CND rally in Trafalgar Square.
It is expected to take four days to travel to Aldermaston Atomic Weapons
Establishment, passing through Southall, Slough, Maidenhead and Reading
en route. Another march from Oxford will join it as it approaches the
research centre. "We will still police it, but they are putting themselves
and traffic at risk as well as our police officers," a police spokeswoman
told BBC News Online. She said organisers should have applied to the local
authorities to close sections of the A4 as they passed along it, at a
cost of nearly £10,000.
'Fine line'
They raised the issue with organisers several month ago, but nothing was
done.
"We're not preventing people's right to protest, but our concern
is public safety," said the spokesman.
They say that last time CND walked the route, in 1988,
Health and Safety legislation was not so developed.
"As such, the marches, as opposed to the protest at AWE, tread a
very fine line where legality is concerned."
A CND spokesperson said: "The police have legitimate
concerns about safety which we as one of the co-organisers share. "At
the same time, there's a delicate balance between concerns about road
safety with the far greater risk that comes from the nuclear weapons we
are protesting about."
Police have urged those coming to Aldermaston not to come on foot.
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2 Britpop rebel with a cause says no new nukes
The Guardian, April 9, 2004
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/arts/story/0,13319,1188730,00.html
Damon Albarn tells the Guardian why he'll be among CND marchers
on the road to Aldermaston today
Among the protesters braving the early spring showers at the start of
a four-day CND march to the British Atomic Weapons Establishment
at Aldermaston today, Damon Albarn will cut something of an incongruous
figure.
In the 60s and 70s opposition to Vietnam and the fear of mutual assured
destruction by the cold war superpowers guaranteed a healthy turnout of
famous faces at rallies waving placards and wearing T-shirts emblazoned
with the logo of the peace movement.
In an interview with the Guardian, one of the founders of Britpop - a
fierce opponent of the war in Iraq and of the Blair government in particular
- attacked the current generation of British rock stars for failing to
put their heads above the parapet in support of the peace movement. "Our
public figures are pretty innocuous and facile these days. I can't believe
they would dream of engaging in anything like this," he said. "For
them it's about making money and they are genuinely caught up in their
own egos or the idea of their own ego. It's pretty depressing, but celebrity
culture in this country is at an all-time low, we've created the most
unpleasant monsters."
Albarn, 36, revealed that even he had been forced to tone down his own
views during Blur's recent world tour because of opposition from other
members of the band, which originally found success articulating the frustrations
of suburban youth. "It was very difficult last year because I did
a lot of concerts but the rest of the band did not really agree with my
views, and to be honest - and out of respect for them - I refrained from
using Blur as a platform, which is probably a good thing because I would
have ended up lecturing people at Reading, which is probably not what
people want to hear."
This Easter weekend will be the 46th anniversary of the first march on
Aldermaston, an event that gave birth to CND, the first
cohesive mass movement against the atomic bomb. But for the movement today's
march is much more than an exercise in nostalgia, retracing the steps
of the 50s duffel coat brigade. The theme of the protests is the proposed
expansion of the Aldermaston site, which CND says will
lead to a new generation of nuclear weapons.
An Aldermaston spokesman last year admitted the new plant could produce
"mini-nukes" or nuclear warheads for cruise missiles if the
government gave the go-ahead. "This is about the future of humanity,"
Albarn said. "This is something that really does affect our lives.
If you are considering our future, the next time that there is a big problem
such as Iraq, what are they going to do? What will have been developed
in Aldermaston in 10 years' time that they might decide to use? But people
don't seem to worry about that now."
For the peace movement the past 14 months has witnessed a mixture of glorious
highs and shattering lows. First there was the triumph of the Stop the
War Coalition rally on the eve of the Iraq war, which saw at least a million
people march through central London. Albarn believes the ordinary people
who turned out that day lost heart because the government ignored them.
"What should have happened was the next week they should have marched
again, but after that march people really lost heart. I don't know how
many people will march to Aldermaston, but I can't believe it will be
anywhere near that number, sadly."
Meanwhile, CND has been riven by accusations that it
has been hijacked by Trotskyists and the Communist party. Albarn is a
lifelong supporter of the group but the continued political machinations
within the movement is another source of frustration for him. "The
Stop the War march was our chance, but we were marching under so many
different banners. When I go on a march it is because I believe in pacifism,
not because of leftwing or rightwing or any other wing. For me it is a
single issue thing."
Albarn's support for the peace movement is rooted firmly in his ancestry.
During the second world war his father's family were ostracised and sent
to live in a closed community in Lincolnshire after his grandfather declared
himself a conscientious objector. One of the youngest people to qualify
as an architect, he was then stripped of his qualifications. "That
was the mentality at the time; they would rather destroy a potentially
socially enriching individual's life because he would not fight. At that
time it was a very radical thing. In the 60s we obviously matured a bit
as a nation and realised there was an alternative to fighting."
Famously courted by Tony Blair in those heady but now much derided days
of Cool Britannia, Albarn reserved his harshest words for the Labour government,
and the prime minister in particular. "What's it going to take for
Tony Blair to admit he might have been a little bit wrong? How many people
are going to have to die before he acknowledges that going to war in Iraq
in the way that they did was not necessarily the right thing to do?"
• Today's rally begins at 11am in Trafalgar Square. The marchers
are due to arrive at the Aldermaston site on Monday
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3 CND Supporters Tread Well-Worn Route to Aldermaston
The Scotsman, 9 April 04
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2757756
Police warned of disruption and congestion along the route taken by thousands
of people protesting today against “the next generation of nuclear
weapons” being developed in the UK – and blamed organisers
for not co-operating fully with them. A rally in London’s Trafalgar
Square, organised by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND),
will launch a weekend of action centred on a four-day march to the Atomic
Weapons Establishment (AWE) at Aldermaston in Berkshire.
Speakers at the rally calling on the Government to stop expansion of
the site, which provides the warheads for the UK’s nuclear deterrent,
were set to include former cabinet minister and veteran peace campaigner
Tony Benn, actor Corin Redgrave and Roger Lloyd Pack, who played Trigger
in Only Fools and Horses and was an early protester. Some 15,000 people
took part in the first such demonstration in 1958.
CND chair Kate Hudson, who will also be speaking, said
planned developments at Aldermaston to research and test the next generation
of nuclear weapons highlighted Britain’s “nuclear hypocrisy”.
She said we were claiming to be trying to rid the world of weapons of
mass destruction yet were simultaneously planning to develop a new generation
of nuclear weapons. “The development of a new generation of UK nuclear
weapons risks escalating the drive for other countries to develop their
own WMD rather than encouraging them to disarm deadly weapons,”
Ms Hudson said.
Roger Lloyd Pack said a new generation of campaigners would be saying
no to a “new generation of nukes”. “I am fearful at
the prospect of investment in a new weapons programme which only increases
the likelihood of nuclear weapons being used,” he added.
A CND spokeswoman said “many thousands”
were expected in Trafalgar Square and thousands more at Aldermaston, while
some 400 protesters were registered for the march itself and more were
expected to join in each day.
Meanwhile Thames Valley Police predicted “congestion and disruption”
around the march route and criticised organisers for not working more
closely with them. The force warned people in Slough, Maidenhead, Reading
and Oxford that they could be affected. Superintendent Jim Trotman, Area
Commander of West Berkshire, said while peaceful, law-abiding protesters
were welcome, the safety and interests of local communities was most important.
“The organisers have not sought the correct road closure orders
for the routes they intend to take, putting their own safety, and that
of other road-users, at risk and at the same time causing problems for
residents and visitors to several areas of the force.”
He said this meant the marches trod a “very fine line” where
legality was concerned. “We will obviously be keeping an eye on
the situation and resources have been put in place to deal with issues
which will undoubtedly arise,” the superintendent added.
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4 Only 1,000 turn out for CND rally in London
The Guardian, Saturday April 10, 2004
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1189217,00.html
CND yesterday tried to put a brave face on the low number
of people who turned out for a rally in Trafalgar Square to mark the beginning
of a four-day march to the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston.
Scotland Yard said up to 1,000 people attended the rally - far fewer than
the thousands predicted - to protest at the expansion of the Berkshire
site, which CND claims will lead the development of the
next generation of Britain's nuclear weapons.
Bruce Kent, the vice-president of CND, said he was not
disappointed by the low turnout, and the CND movement
was as relevant as ever. "This event is to wake up a sleeping population
that is unaware of the dangers of nuclear weapons," he said.
But Damon Albarn, the lead singer of Blur, was less diplomatic. "It
makes me angry to see the number of people who have come to support the
march today," he said. "I know it's Good Friday, but people
could give a little bit of thought. It's not even raining. "They
don't bother at all," he said. "I think if there had been a
bomb in London the place would be packed, like in Madrid, but because
there's not, nobody bothers."
Tony Benn told the gathering: "Fifty-nine years ago, Hiroshima and
Nagasaki were destroyed by the most terrifying weapons ever devised, and
tens of thousands were killed. That was a warning to the human race that
we ignore at our peril."
Later, 300 marchers later set off on the 50-mile march to Aldermaston,
retracing the steps of the first CND march in 1958 which
attracted more than 15,000 protesters. The marchers were due to stay in
Southall, west London, last night before marching through Slough and Reading,
and reaching Aldermaston on Monday.
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5 Trek against nuclear arms
Gulf Daily News, Bahrain, Saturday 10 April 2004
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Articles.asp?Article=78836&Sn=WORL
LONDON: Some 300 peace activists set off from central London yesterday
on an Easter weekend trek to a British nuclear arms facility to denounce
the ongoing development of the world's most lethal weapons. The 90km march
on the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston, Berkshire, west of
London, was organised by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
(CND), one of Britain's oldest anti-war groups.
It alleges that the Aldermaston facility - which the peace trekkers intend
to surround upon their arrival on Monday - is expanding to develop new
nuclear weapons to replace Britain's ageing Trident submarine-based missiles.
The march set off from Trafalgar Square in London where, according to
police estimates, around 1,000 people gathered for a CND
rally to warn of the dangers posed by nuclear weapons.
"Fifty-nine years ago Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by the
most terrifying weapons ever devised, and tens of thousands were killed,"
said veteran politician Tony Benn, referring to the 1945 bombings of the
two Japanese cities at the end of Second World War. "That was a warning
to the human race that we ignore at our peril," he told the smaller-than-expected
crowd.
CND vice president Bruce Kent said the group wanted to
"wake up a sleeping population" to the dangers that nuclear
weapons still pose.
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6 We're up ship creek
The Daily Record, April 10 2004
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=14134608&method=full&siteid=89488&headline=we-re-up-ship-creek-name_page.html
£60m Navy boat launched into concrete wall Nuclear protest
THE NAVY'S newest warship was launched yesterday straight into a concrete
wall. The £60million tank landing ship Mounts Bay rumbled down a
slipway on one side of the Clyde, went right across the river, and ploughed
into the opposite bank.
Families in a crowd of 12,000 watching the launch dived for cover as the
16,000tonne monster headed toward them. And the impact left an ugly-looking
dent in the stern of the 577-foot, state of-the-art ship. The damage will
cost thousands of pounds to repair. It was the second nasty bump in recent
years for a Navy ship on the Clyde.
Helicopter carrier HMS Ocean hit a tug and several concrete supports when
it was launched by Kvaerner Govan in 1995. Three holes were gouged in
its hull.
Joiner James Semple, 43, took his 11-year-old daughter Penny to watch
yesterday's launch. They cowered behind their car and felt the ground
tremble as the Mounts Bay thudded into the bank feet away from them. James
said: 'The ship was launched and started coming straight towards us. I
kept wondering when it was going to turn and head down the Clyde. But
about halfway across it was still coming towards us. We had parked the
car close to the pier and instinctively ran behind it for cover as the
ship approached. A few seconds later we heard a loud crunch and a shudder
went through the ground. The ship came to a halt and there were shouts
from people on board asking what had happened. Then wesaw the dent in
the hull. A tug was nearby. It towed the ship's nose away from the bank.
The only place it's heading is back to the docks for repairs.'
Penny, who goes to Glasgow's Mount Florida Primary School, said: 'There
was a loud bang and the ground seemed to shake. Next thing, there was
a big bash on the side of the ship.'
More than 2000 workers at the BAE Systems yard in Govan took two years
to build the Mounts Bay. But there was another bad omen at yesterday's
launch, when the admiral's wife who christened the ship took two attempts
to smash the traditional bottle of champagne on its hull. The Mounts Bay
was towed to a dock at the Govan yard last night. BAE could not say how
long it would take to repair the hull.
The company said in a statement: 'The ship suffered some very superficial
damage to the hull plate. At no point was there any risk to the vessel
or the crowd. 'There will be a full investigation, but this minor incident
should not be allowed to take the shine off a significant day for the
business and for the Clyde.'
Once fixed, the Mounts Bay will become a key part of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Her job will be to land tanks, trucks and equipment at trouble spots across
the world. A sister ship, the Cardigan Bay, will be built at the Govan
yard over the next year.
Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram was at yesterday's launch. Before being
told of the damage, he said: 'I'm very proud to be here today, not just
as a minister but as a Glaswegian too. 'I'm also pleased to know that
Mounts Bay and her sister ships will provide our armed forces with a crucial
capability.' Ingram said the ships would allow large numbers of troops
and cargos of equipment to be moved around the globe quickly. He added:
'You only have to look at recent operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to
see how vital it is.'
A rally was held yesterday in London's Trafalgar Square to protest at
Britain's weapons of mass destruction. CND claim the
UK is developing nuclear weapons at Aldermaston.
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7 46 years on, CND trudges back to Aldermaston
The Independent, 10 April 2004
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=510191
Anti-nuclear campaigners left London yesterday on a four-day march to
Aldermaston in protest at what they claim is the expansion of Britain's
programme for creating new weapons of mass destruction. About 400 people
set off from Trafalgar Square, in the footsteps of the marchers who helped
establish the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in 1958.
Before they left, speakers at a rally called on the Government to stop
its expansion of the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) at Aldermaston
in Berkshire where the CND says a new generation of nuclear
weapons is being developed.
Kate Hudson, the CND chairwoman, told the 1,000-strong
rally that the planned expansion of Aldermaston, which includes recruitment
of 80 more scientists and construction of areas to test battlefield weapons,
was an example of Britain's "nuclear hypocrisy". She said: "The
development of a new generation of UK nuclear weapons risks escalating
the drive for other countries to develop their own WMD rather than encouraging
them to disarm deadly weapons."
Tony Benn, a veteran peace campaigner, said: "Fifty-nine years ago,
Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by the most terrifying weapons devised,
and tens of thousands were killed. That was a warning to the human race
we ignore at our peril."
Organisers expect more people to join the 52-mile march, which passes
through Slough, Maidenhead, Reading and Oxford. Police criticised them
for not seeking proper road closures, and predicted "congestion and
disruption" for motorists along the route. The march ends at Aldermaston
on Easter Monday.
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8 Peace trekkers set off for British nuclear arms facility
10 April 04
http://www.spacewar.com/2004/040409140855.rv8106ni.html
Some 300 peace activists set off from central London on Friday on an
Easter weekend trek to a British nuclear arms facility to denounce the
ongoing development of the world's most lethal weapons. The 90-kilometer
(52-mile) march on the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston, Berkshire,
west of London, was organised by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
(CND), one of Britain's oldest anti-war groups.
It alleges that the Aldermaston facility -- which the peace trekkers intend
to surround upon their arrival Monday -- is expanding to develop new nuclear
weapons to replace Britain's ageing Trident submarine-based missiles.
The march set off from Trafalgar Square in London where, according to
police estimates, around 1,000 people gathered for a CND
rally to warn of the dangers posed by nuclear weapons.
"Fifty-nine years ago Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by the
most terrifying weapons ever devised, and tens of thousands were killed,"
said veteran politician Tony Benn, referring to the 1945 bombings of the
two Japanese cities at the end of World War II. "That was a warning
to the human race that we ignore at our peril," he told the smaller-than-expected
crowd.
CND vice president Bruce Kent said the group wanted to
"wake up a sleeping population" to the dangers that nuclear
weapons still pose, a decade after the demise of the Cold War. He said
a UN conference in New York in May to review the Non-Proliferation Treaty
would be a critical event in international efforts to abolish nuclear
weapons.
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9 Cnd Rally Attracts Hundreds of Protesters
The Scotsman
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2759171
Campaigners today held a rally in London to protest at Britain’s
weapons of mass destruction.
But the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament rally at Trafalgar
Square attracted supporters in their hundreds rather than thousands. The
Aldermaston 2004 event is aimed to stop what CND claims
is the development of the next generation of Britain’s nuclear weapons
at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) at Aldermaston in Berkshire.
Scotland Yard estimated around 1,000 attended the rally hearing speeches
from politicians and celebrities.
Damon Albarn, lead singer of pop group Blur, attended but did not speak
from the platform. He said: “I’m not into politics really,
I’m just here to give my support. I fully object to nuclear weapons
and always have. It makes me angry to see the number of people who have
come to support the march today. I know it’s Good Friday but people
could give a little bit of thought, it’s not even raining. They
don’t bother at all. I think if there had been a bomb in London
the place would be packed, like in Madrid but because there’s not,
nobody bothers.”
Veteran peace campaigner Tony Benn told the gathering: “Fifty-nine
years ago Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by the most terrifying
weapons ever devised and tens of thousands were killed. That was a warning
to the human race that we ignore at our peril.”
Actress Susannah York praised jailed Israeli scientist Mordechai Vanunu.
Vanunu has been in jail for 18 years in Israel as a whistleblower who
revealed state secrets about the country’s nuclear weapons programme.
She said: “One of the most courageous men in recent history Mordechai
Vanunu is scheduled for release in 12 days’ time. Mordechai Vanunu
spoke out for us and you are speaking out for him.”
Bruce Kent, vice president of CND, said: “This
event is to wake up a sleeping population that is unaware of the dangers
of nuclear weapons.” Mr Kent said he was not disappointed by the
low turnout and the CND movement was as relevant as ever.
He said the United Nations is to hold a review conference of the nuclear
non-proliferation treaty in New York next month, a critical event in the
campaign for the abolition of the weapons, he said.
Organisers denied they were disappointed at the numbers who turned up
although piles of wooden “no new nukes” placards were left
stacked and unused in piles. As many tourists filled the square as protesters.
In 1958, with the birth of CND, 15,000 attended its
first march and an estimated one million took to the streets during last
year’s Stop The War marches. One of the 20 police officers on duty
added: “All the protesters must be having a late lunch.”
CND has also organised a four-day march, attended by
300 supporters, to Aldermaston, the home of AWE. They will walk 52 miles
stopping in church halls and community centres before ending at the facility
for a “surround the base” rally. CND claims
the facility is expanding to develop new nuclear weapons to replace Britain’s
ageing Trident nuclear system
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10 Marchers set off on second day
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3615935.stm
Hundreds of people on the second day of a march to Aldermaston to protest
about nuclear weapons have reached Hayes, in west London. Marchers spent
Friday night in a Sikh temple in Southall before setting off for Slough,
Berkshire, on Saturday.
The protest, which revives a peace movement which began in 1958, started
in London's Trafalgar Square.
Aldermaston's Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) provides warheads for
the UK's nuclear deterrent.
Campaigners fear "the next generation of nuclear weapons" are
to be researched and tested there.
A spokeswoman for CND told BBC News Online: "There's
been a really great reaction from the public. They have been cheering
us on. Last night we slept in a temple and tonight we'll be staying in
church halls." She said 400 marchers were registered and numbers
were expected to swell to 600 on Easter Monday as the march reached Aldermaston.
On Saturday marchers were back on the road at 1000 BST accompanied by
a Samba band and were due to hear a speech by CND vice
president Bruce Kent in Uxbridge. Speaking at the opening rally at Trafalgar
Square on Friday, Mr Kent said: "This event is to wake up a sleeping
population that is unaware of the dangers of nuclear weapons."
Veteran Labour politician Tony Benn, also speaking at the rally, said:
"Fifty-nine years ago Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by the
most terrifying weapons ever devised and tens of thousands were killed."
In 1958, 15,000 attended the first CND march to mark
its birth and an estimated one million took to the streets during last
year's Stop the War marches.
Before the rally, CND chairwoman Kate Hudson said the
supposed Aldermaston programme highlighted Britain's "nuclear hypocrisy",
in claiming to want to rid the world of weapons of mass destruction at
the same time as developing new ones. She said: "The development
of a new generation of UK nuclear weapons risks escalating the drive for
other countries to develop their own WMD rather than encouraging them
to disarm deadly weapons."
Thames Valley Police predicted "congestion and disruption" along
the march route and criticised organisers for not working more closely
with them. People living in Slough, Maidenhead, Reading and Oxford could
be affected. Supt Jim Trotman, area commander for west Berkshire, said
the organisers had not sought the correct road closure orders for the
route, which could put the safety of marchers and road users at risk.
Aldermaston pictures were provided to BBC News Online courtesy of BECTU
History Project
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11 Final day of nuclear protest walk
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3618123.stm
Hundreds of marchers are preparing for the final day of their 52-mile
march to Aldermaston to revive a 1958 protest over nuclear weapons.
CND fear "the next generation of nuclear weapons"
are to be researched and tested there.
Some 10,000 people marched from London to what is now the Atomic Weapons
Establishment (AWE) on the original anti-nuclear protest 46 years ago.
Campaigners say fresh investment at Aldermaston is a worrying development.
As many as 300 people have completed the 52-mile march, having set off
from Trafalgar Square in London on Friday. Aldermaston provides warheads
for the UK's nuclear deterrent.
CND chairwoman Kate Hudson told the BBC there had been
major investment at Aldermaston with new scientists, computers and a new
laser system. "This is all in line with what would be required to
build new nuclear weapons... so we're very concerned. "We've had
very broad political support. We believe that the use threshold for nuclear
weapons has been lowered."
Marchers spent their first night in a Sikh temple in Southall and Saturday
night in church halls in Slough. On Sunday morning, sunshine lifted marchers'
spirits as they began their longest stretch along the A4 to Reading, stopping
off in Maidenhead where they were met by local Mayor Councillor Mike Bruton.
Speaking at the opening rally at Trafalgar Square on Friday, veteran campaigner
Bruce Kent said: "This event is to wake up a sleeping population
that is unaware of the dangers of nuclear weapons."
Veteran Labour politician Tony Benn, also speaking at the rally, said:
"Fifty-nine years ago Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by the
most terrifying weapons ever devised and tens of thousands were killed."
Aldermaston pictures were provided to BBC News Online courtesy of BECTU
History Project.
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12 Activists stage demo at nuclear submarine base
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2769606
The Scotsman, Mon 12 Apr 04
Hundreds of peace activists are marching to a mass demonstration outside
a nuclear submarine base today.
Among those taking part in the march and rally at Faslane, on the Clyde,
are SNP leader John Swinney and his SSP counterpart Tommy Sheridan. Around
50 campaigners set off on a “peace walk” from Glasgow’s
City Chambers to Faslane on Friday afternoon in solidarity with fellow
activists marching from London to the nuclear weapons factory at Aldermaston
over the weekend.
The demo has been arranged by Scottish CND, whose secretary
Allison Hunter accused Prime Minister Tony Blair of “hypocrisy”
for maintaining the Trident weapons at Faslane while urging other countries
to give up their weapons. She said: “It’s good that countries
that are developing nuclear weapons programmes are put under pressure
to abandon them, but that is only one side of the equation. If that pressure
is to be effective and credible in the long run it must be matched by
disarmament on the part of nuclear weapon states, including Britain.
“As we all know, Britain is headed in the opposite direction –
it has confirmed its dependence on Trident and is engaged with the US
in planning the next generation of these appalling weapons. This hypocrisy
must be exposed.”
Best-selling author Iain Banks has sent a message of support for the
demonstration to the campaigners. It said: “Memo to Tony Blair:
instead of starting illegal wars over WMDs that don’t exist in the
deserts and marshes of Iraq, why not peacefully dispose of the ones that
definitely do in the lochs and glens of Scotland?”
Green MSP Chris Ballance is to tell the demonstration that nuclear weapons
are “irrelevant” in the war on terrorism. He says: “They
are as immoral, offensive and objectionable as they have been for the
last 50 years, but they are also now redundant dinosaurs of a previous
age.”
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13 Peace protesters march on Faslane
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/3617797.stm
Hundreds of peace protesters are expected to march on the Trident nuclear
weapons submarine base at Faslane on the Clyde. The old Easter Monday
demo has been resurrected y Scottish CND to coincide
with a new anti-Trident campaign by British CND. Starting
at the Faslane Peace Camp at 1300BST on Monday, it will culminate in a
rally outside the base at 1430 BST. Speakers from the SNP, SSP and CND
will all take part.
Nuclear fears
The march and rally will coincide with a similar protest being staged
at Aldermaston in Berkshire.
On Friday about 400 protesters set off from London for the Atomic Weapons
Establishment Friday as part of the CND-inspired campaign.
The organisation fears the possibility of the UK joining the US in building
a new generation of nuclear weapons, the current expansion of facilities
at Aldermaston and its recruitment of new scientists.
The Faslane event forms part of this and a specific protest against the
continued presence of Trident missiles at the base near Helensburgh. Scottish
CND chair Alan McKinnon said: "It is vital to highlight
the fact Britain continues to flout international law and its own treaty
obligations by maintaining Trident. While Tony Blair is busy congratulating
Libya for abandoning its WMD programme we deploy Trident round the clock
ready at any time to kill millions of innocent people."
Scottish CND secretary Allison Hunter added: "Britain has confirmed
its dependence on Trident and is engaged with the US in planning the next
generation of these appalling weapons. This hypocrisy must be exposed."
'Redundant dinosaurs'
Green Party MSP Chris Ballance, SNP leader John Swinney and SSP leader
Tommy Sheridan will add their political weight to the proceedings and
will be joined by author A L Kennedy and Osama Saeed, of the Muslim Association
of Britain, in voicing their protests.
Mr Ballance said: "These weapons are irrelevant to modern needs."They
are as immoral, offensive and objectionable as they have been for the
last 50 years but they are also now redundant dinosaurs of a previous
age. How can the UK Government justify spending vast amounts of taxpayers'
money on weapons of mass destruction especially when British troops have
just fought a war in order to reduce and control these very kinds of weapons?
Nuclear weapons are illegal. They breach humanitarian law because they
cannot distinguish between military targets and civilian populations -
there is no place for them in Scotland."
…………………………….
14 Marchers join anti-nuclear demo
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5025482.html
HUNDREDS of peace activists were marching to join a mass demonstration
outside a nuclear submarine base today. Among those taking part in the
march and rally at Faslane, on the Clyde, are SNP leader John Swinney
and his SSP counterpart Tommy Sheridan. Around 50 campaigners set off
on a "peace walk" from Glasgow's City Chambers to Faslane on
Friday afternoon in solidarity with fellow activists marching from London
to the nuclear weapons factory at Aldermaston over the weekend.
The demo has been arranged by Scottish CND whose secretary,
Allison Hunter, accused Prime Minister Tony Blair of "hypocrisy"
for maintaining the Trident weapons at Faslane while urging other countries
to give up their weapons.
Best-selling author Iain Banks has sent a message of support to the campaigners.
It said: "Memo to Tony Blair: instead of starting illegal wars over
WMDs that don't exist in the deserts and marshes of Iraq, why not peacefully
dispose of the ones that definitely do in the lochs and glens of Scotland?"
Green MSP Chris Ballance is to tell the demonstration that nuclear weapons
are "irrelevant" in the war on terrorism.
………………………….
15 Anti-nuclear campaigners complete historic march
Scotsman 12 April 04
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2771831
Anti-nuclear campaigners completed an historic march today before holding
a rally to draw attention to the development of what they say is the next
generation of nuclear weapons in Britain.
Around 400 people took part in the last leg of the Campaign for
Nuclear Disarmament’s (CND) traditional four-day march
from London to the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in Aldermaston,
Berkshire. The demo, which spans 52 miles and first took place in 1958,
culminated in a rally at the AWE featuring speakers, theatre, jugglers
and a treasure hunt for weapons of mass destruction. Coaches brought in
an estimated 400 more people from around the country to join marchers
at the revelries.
Kate Hudson, head of CND, said that the aim of both
the march and today’s events was to raise awareness of the alleged
expansion of the facility at Aldermaston. She added that the AWE was developing
the potential to build a new generation of nuclear weapons for Britain.
“We were stepping out with the aim of sending a message that we
don’t want new nuclear weapons in Britain and we feel we are well
on the way to doing that,” she said. “We think it’s
a great success.” Ms Hudson said that a vast cross-section of people
had taken part in the march, from those who had been on the first one
in 1958 to the young of today.
The Aldermaston 2004 event kicked off with a public meeting in Trafalgar
Square in London on Friday featuring speakers including former MP and
veteran peace campaigner Tony Benn. After departing, marchers spent nights
at a Sikh temple in Southall, a Methodist chapel in Slough and a leisure
centre in Reading.
………………………..
16 MSPs join Faslane peace protest
BBC, Monday, 12 April, 2004
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/3620361.stm
Leading politicians have joined peace protesters in a demonstration outside
the Trident nuclear weapons submarine base at Faslane on the Clyde. They
spoke to more than 200 campaigners at a rally outside the base at about
1430 BST on Easter Monday. Scottish National Party Leader John Swinney
and Green MSP Chris Ballance took part. Both condemned the presence of
nuclear missiles at the naval base.
Nuclear fears
The once-traditional Easter Monday demo was been resurrected by Scottish
CND to coincide with a new anti-Trident campaign by British
CND. The organisation fears the possibility of the UK
joining the US in building a new generation of nuclear weapons, the current
expansion of facilities at Aldermaston and its recruitment of new scientists.
The protest started with a march from the Faslane Peace Camp at 1300BST
to coincide with a similar event staged at the Atomic Weapons Establishment
in Aldermaston, Berkshire.
The Scottish march ended at Faslane's north gate where activists attached
banners with anti-nuclear slogans to fences and gates before the speakers
took to a makeshift platform.
'Incongruous message'
Mr Swinney said: "I have joined in many protests before at this base
but this year we have a situation where we are concerned about the issues
of WMD in all sorts of countries. It's dominated the political landscape
over the last two years and was pivotal in terms of the decision to go
to war in Iraq. And yet here we are, possessing WMDs 15 miles down the
road from the largest city in Scotland. To me that seems an incongruous
message so we are here to remedy that."
Green MSP Mr Ballance said: "We came here because we care passionately
when the Government does something immoral and illegal that ordinary citizens
have to do something about it. We are told that the war of today is the
war against terrorism. What the hell use is a nuclear submarine against
a terrorist or against a suicide bomber? These weapons are dinosaurs of
a previous age, they've actually been useless for the last 50-60 years,
they're completely redundant."
Scottish CND chair Alan Mackinnon said it was the first
time the organisation had staged an Easter march in a decade. He said:
"We heard so much about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and Libya's
when they didn't even have any. "But here we have nearly 180 warheads
which is enough to destroy half the world and create a nuclear winter,
so we're here to highlight that hypocrisy."
'Monstrous lies'
He added that with Iraq on the brink of anarchy Tony Blair and George
Bush were reaping the whirlwind of their "monstrous lie" about
WMDs. He said: "Iraq today is a classic testament to the greed and
folly of Bush and Blair, the banks, the oil companies and arms manufacturers.
And all for what? Weapons of mass destruction, we were told. That was
a monstrous lie that was perpetrated against the British people and the
parliament that now threatens the presidency of George Bush and the premiership
of Tony Blair himself. If Tony Blair really wants to rid the world of
weapons of mass destruction then he should start right here."
…………………………….
17 Hundreds march to Faslane in weapons protest
The Herald, 13 April 04
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/13902.html
HUNDREDS of demonstrators marched on the home of Britain's nuclear submarines
yesterday.
John Swinney, the SNP leader, was among the politicians to address the
rally outside the Trident nuclear weapons submarine base at Faslane on
the Clyde.
He said: "I have joined in many protests before at this base but
this year we have a situation where we are concerned about the issues
of WMD in all sorts of countries. It's dominated the political landscape
over the last two years and was pivotal in terms of the decision to go
to war in Iraq. And yet here we are, possessing WMDs 15 miles down the
road from the largest city in Scotland. To me that seems an incongruous
message, so we are here to remedy that."
He was backed by Chris Ballance, Green party MSP, who described the base
and the weapons in it as a danger to the people of Scotland and a danger
in particular to the people of Glasgow and Strathclyde. He said: "We
care passionately that when a government does something immoral and illegal,
the ordinary citizen has to speak out against it." He described the
nuclear weapons housed as dinosaurs of a previous age that had no place
in Scotland, adding: "They are offensive, they are immoral and they
are illegal and that is why we have come here."
The crowd had marched the two miles from the Faslane peace camp, chanting
anti-war slogans and singing songs such as the Beatles' Yellow Submarine
before reaching the rally point outside the main gates of the base.
Phil Jones, a campaign worker for Scottish CND, said:
"The protest is to coincide with the British CND demonstration
staged at Aldermaston in Berkshire."
The organisation fears the possibility of the UK joining the US in building
a new generation of nuclear weapons after reports of expansion at the
Berkshire base and increased interaction with US scientists. Mr Jones
added that this was an issue that captured the attention of Scots from
varied backgrounds. He said: "Here today there are people of every
age, shape and size. Every generation – aged from four to 75. There
are veterans from the first Aldermaston marches in the 1950s and 60s,
school students, elderly and retired folk."
Gloria Findlay and Cathy Brown, both in their 70s, have protested against
nuclear weapons at Faslane for the past decade. Ms Brown, from Paisley,
said: "We are here to demonstrate against Blair's hypocrisy about
weapons of mass destruction and we do not want that monstrosity [the base]
here.
The revival of the traditional Easter Monday rally meant many protesters
were able to bring their families.
Haq Ghani, a computer engineer from Glasgow, said: "I am here with
my family to protest at the hypocrisy of Britain and America, where there
is evidence here that they have weapons of mass destruction and feel no
qualms holding on to those, yet they have the cheek to insist all other
countries must destroy their weapons."
Some of the protesters had staged a four-day peace walk from Glasgow to
the base, where dozens of police officers looked on as many protesters
stuck daffodils through the wire.
A Strathclyde Police spokesman said the protest had been peaceful and
no arrests had been made.
………………
18 Swinney joins in protest against nuclear deterrent
The Scotsman, Tuesday, 13 April 2004
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=416112004
PEACE activists joined with politicians and clergy at the Faslane naval
base yesterday to demonstrate against Britain’s nuclear deterrent.
John Swinney, the SNP leader, told demonstrators outside the gates of
the nuclear submarine base on the Clyde that the Prime Minister, Tony
Blair, had lied to the public over weapons of mass destruction in Iraq
and stood accused of hypocrisy for retaining such weapons just 15 miles
from Glasgow. "We were lied to by the British government that took
us to war and we were lied to by Blair," he said. "That war
was supposed to be about weapons of mass destruction, and in the intervening
months we found not a single weapon of mass destruction. If it’s
good enough for this government to go to war in Iraq to rid the country
of weapons of mass destruction, why on earth is our government in possession
of weapons of mass destruction in this country?"
Tommy Sheridan, the Scottish Socialist leader, who has been jailed for
his part in previous anti-nuclear protests at the base, was forced to
pull out because of a sore throat.
Scottish CND, the demonstration’s organisers,
said the nuclear deterrent must be relinquished if the UK was to retain
any integrity in its war on terror.
The pressure group’s secretary, Allison Hunter, said: "This
hypocrisy must be exposed. It’s good that countries that are developing
nuclear weapons programmes are put under pressure to abandon them, but
that is only one side of the equation. If that pressure is to be effective
and credible in the long run, it must be matched by disarmament on the
part of the nuclear weapons states, including Britain."
Approximately 50 campaigners had set off on Friday on a "peace walk"
from the City Chambers in Glasgow to Faslane, on the Clyde, to show solidarity
with fellow activists marching from London to the nuclear weapons factory
at Aldermaston over the weekend.
The best-selling author Iain Banks sent a message of support for the
demonstration. Under the heading "Memo to Tony Blair", the message
stated: "Instead of starting illegal wars over WMDs that don’t
exist in the deserts and marshes of Iraq, why not peacefully dispose of
the ones that definitely do in the lochs and glens of Scotland?"
…………………………….
19 Brave face on low Aldermaston turnout
The Guardian , Tuesday April 13, 2004
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1190546,00.html
Forty-six years ago, 10,000 ban-the-bomb protesters braved the rain and
snow to march the 52 miles from Trafalgar Square to Aldermaston in Berkshire.
Yesterday a new generation of protesters finally ended their re-creation
of the historic walk with a rally and noisy protest outside the Atomic
Weapons Establishment. They numbered no more than 1,000, but organisers
claimed that what they lacked in numbers they made up for in terms of
impact.
Kate Hudson, chairwoman of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament,
said the government is again spending money on Aldermaston, with more
scientists, computers and a new laser system. "This is all in line
with what would be required to build new nuclear weapons." She said
they have received broad support. "The use threshold for nuclear
weapons has been lowered. Now people know what weapons of mass destruction
are, we are highlighting the fact that we have them in Britain."
CND spokeswoman Ruth Tanner said the profile of those
who marched proved that concern is widespread. "We have been struck
by the diversity of the people here. They are from all different ages
and backgrounds. We have also found that people along the route have really
opened their arms to us. There has been an incredible amount of support."
On leaving Trafalgar Square on Friday, the protesters walked to Southall
in west London, where they spent their first night in a Sikh temple. The
following day they marched to Slough and slept in church halls. They began
their longest stretch along the A4 to Reading, pausing for an address
in Uxbridge by CND's vice president, Bruce Kent. Most
marchers spent Sunday night in a leisure centre.
Sophie Bolt, 36, a graphic designer from London, walked the entire route.
"It has been a good way of raising awareness. I have a best friend
who is not really interested in politics but she was so impressed that
she came to Trafalgar Square." She said a new movement is just beginning.
"The last march was just 10 years after Hiroshima. People have come
to feel the world is a safer place but since the Bush administration said
it was prepared to use nuclear weapons, people have started to recognise
the dangers that still exist."
……………………………
20 Anti-nuke marchers blast Blair
Daily Record, April 13 2004
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=14142742&method=full&siteid=89488&headline=anti-nuke-marchers-blast-blair-name_page.html
PROTESTERS demanded an end to Government 'lies' about Iraq's weapons of
mass destruction as they marched on the Faslane naval base. MSPs and religious
leaders were among 250 people who demonstrated at the Clyde base yesterday.
It is home to Britain's fleet of Trident submarines. Scottish
CND chairman Alan McKinnon urged Tony Blair to ditch nuclear
weapons.
He said: 'WMDs were a monstrous lie that was told to Parliament and us
and repeated time after time.
'If Tony Blair really wants to rid the world of WMDs, he should start
right here.'
SNP leader John Swinney also spoke at the traditional Easter Monday rally.
He said: 'The war was supposed to be about removing WMDs. 'In the intervening
12 months we have found not a single one in Iraq. We were lied to by the
British government that took us to war. We were lied to by Blair and the
lies keep coming.'
Green Party MSP Chris Ballance said: 'When a government does something
immoral and illegal then ordinary citizens have to speak out.'
Demonstrators stuck daffodils through the camp's razor wire as part of
the peaceful protest.
Police said there were no arrests.
……………………………..
21 Nuclear Weapons Campaign Stepped Up
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5025507.html
Anti-nuclear campaigners were today stepping up their fight to rid Scotland
of nuclear weapons. More than 200 peace protesters marched on Faslane
Naval Base on the Clyde yesterday for the first time at Easter in a decade.
Scottish CND organised the two-mile march from the nearby
Faslane Peace Camp, which was attended by church leaders and politicians.
Protesters chanted and waved banners and placards as police kept watch
outside the heavily guarded nuclear submarine base.
Alan Mackinnon, the chairman of Scottish CND, told the
crowd: "We heard so much about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction
and Libya's when they didn't even have any. Our purpose here today is
to focus attention on our weapons of mass destruction.
"What's good enough for Iraq and Libya is good enough for Britain
and America and Russia and China and Israel and India and Pakistan. And
if Tony Blair really wants to rid the world of these weapons then he should
start right here."
Police said the protest had passed off peacefully and no arrests had been
made.
…………………………………….
22 Hundreds on the march for peace
Reading Evening Post, Thursday 15th April 2004
http://www.getreading.co.uk/story.asp?intid=9298
A CROWD of anti-nuclear protesters pulled into Reading town centre ahead
of the final leg of their 52-mile march to Aldermaston. About 200 marchers
set off from Trafalgar Square, staying in Southall on Saturday before
marching through Slough to Reading on Sunday and ending up at AWE on Monday.
They walked along the side of main roads stopping in church halls and
community centres before ending up at AWE for a “surround the base”
rally.
The event was organised by The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
(CND), which claims AWE is expanding to develop new nuclear weapons
to replace Britain’s ageing Trident nuclear system.
Frank Spence, 56, from Reading, who joined the march in London, accused
the Government of a hypocritical attitude. The father-of-four said: “I
am marching because weapons of mass destruction are evil whoever owns
them. I also live in the shadow of Aldermaston. This Government is hypocritical
in preaching to others about weapons of mass destruction when they keep
huge stockpiles themselves. I am shocked at the apathy of people. You
talk to people in the streets and the majority are far more concerned
about the antics of Posh and Becks rather than life and death matters
that concern us all and threaten us all.”
The protest group was bolstered in Reading on Monday morning by the arrival
of extra marchers who planned to walk the last leg to Aldermaston.
Damon Albarn, lead singer of pop group Blur, attended the London protest,
but did not speak from the platform. He said: “I’m just here
to give my support. I fully object to nuclear weapons and always have.
It makes me angry to see the number of people who have come to support
the march today. I think if there had been a bomb in London the place
would be packed, like in Madrid but because there’s not, nobody
bothers.”
The marchers were retracing the steps of about 10,000 protesters who
made the same trek in 1958 to oppose the development of missiles.
…………………………………….
23 Green Euro-MP says no new nukes
7th April 2004
http://www.greenparty.org.uk/index.php?nav=news&n=1327
Caroline Lucas, Green Euro-MP for the South-East, will address a new generation
of marchers joining the London to Aldermaston march to protest against
a new generation of nuclear weapons being developed at the Atomic Weapons
Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston, this weekend. Dr Lucas said: "It
is disgraceful that having signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty
the government is now putting into action plans to develop a new generation
of weapons at Aldermaston."
In May 2003 AWE started to recruit more than 80 scientists in addition
to beginning to gain planning permission for a new laser facility. Dr
Lucas commented: "The Blair government has sunk to a new low - waging
a war against Iraq, in order to prevent proliferation of WMD, and then
hypocritically proceeding to develop more WMD in Britain.
The protest has been organised by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
(CND), the Aldermarston Women's Peace Campaign, (AWPC) and Slough4Peace.
The Trafalgar Square Rally starts at 11am on Good Friday (9th April) -
the march will then travel through Southall, Slough and Reading before
arriving at Aldermaston on Easter Monday.
Other speakers include Tony Benn, Kate Hudson of CND,
Anas Altikriti President of the Muslim Association of Britain, and Roger
Lloyd Packer (Trigger from only Fools and Horses).
……………………………………..
24 Comedian on trial for £80 damage to bus
14 April 2004
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/story.jsp?story=511261
The campaigning television comedian Mark Thomas appeared in court yesterday
for the beginning of a two-day trial accused of causing £80 worth
of damage to a minivan during an arms protest. Mr Thomas, who has long
targeted the international arms trade in his Channel 4 show, The Mark
Thomas Comedy Product, pleaded not guilty to two counts of damaging the
vehicle which was carrying delegates from BAE Systems to the Defence Systems
Exhibitions International (DSEI) in London's Docklands last September.
Accompanied by three fellow protesters, Mr Thomas chained himself to the
underside of the minibus as it was leaving the Tower Thistle Hotel in
London by means of a cycle lock hung around his neck.
Martin Huseyin, representing the four men, told Stratford magistrates'
court that, while they do not deny staging the protest ,there was no evidence
linking them to a damaged roll bar. A police vehicle examiner, PC Graham
Pattison, who inspected the vehicle on the day of the protest, said that,
in his opinion the damage to the anti-roll bar could have been caused
by handcuffs, a chain and the D-Lock used by the protesters. Mr Huseyin
suggested the damage might also have been caused by large objects flying
up from the road. He added that the charge of causing economic damage
to the owner of the minibus was "a hypothetical loss - we would submit
that that's simply not sufficient". In any event, said Mr Huseyin,
it was "rather stretching it to described the scratches to the anti-roll
bar as damage." The driver of the minibus, Shachar Ely, told the
court he was "angry and upset" by the protest.
He described how, on the morning of 12 September last year, he was forced
to stop the bus shortly after 8.20am by protesters who told him that some
of their number had attached themselves to the back of the vehicle. He
said he kept the engine running "to bring them some fumes because
I thought I was being hijacked." Police officers were called to the
scene from the exhibition.
In a statement read out to the court, Inspector Paul Thornton said: "I
spoke to the people underneath the bus and asked them what their intention
was. They said to stay there as long as possible. I asked them who was
their spokesperson or leader. They replied: 'I am Spartacus.'" The
four were arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage and charged
at Charing Cross Police Station.
PC Mark Dodds, who arrested Mr Thomas, said the demeanour of the protesters
was "polite" and described the atmosphere as "friendly".
Graham Blake, the owner of the bus, who was later called to the scene,
said it was difficult to quantify the economic loss, but that he could
have missed out on some £250 worth of business while the minibus
was out of service.
Bruce Kent, vice-president of CND, testified to Mr Thomas's
good character as did Lord Avebury, Mark Muller, the vice-chairman of
the Bar Human Rights Committee, and Karim Yildiz, director of the Kurdish
Human Rights Project.
Mr Thomas, who created a unique blend of stand-up comedy and investigative
journalism in his Channel 4 show, is a long standing critic of the international
arms trade. Two years ago, in "How to Become an Arms Dealer in Eight
Days", he showed how easy it was to break the arms embargo on Zimbabwe.
He and his team also infiltrated the Athens Arms Fair, posing as a PR
company. Other targets of his wide-ranging satire include human rights
abuses, the UK's laws on asylum and immigration, and the misuse of power
by multi-national companies.
The DSEI, which takes place annually in September, is a major focus for
anti-weapons campaigners. Up to 2,000 police officers were present at
last year's exhibition. Musical protests have already begun against DSEI
2004.
………………………………………
25 Curbs on freedom for Israeli nuclear arms spy
April 15 2004
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/14042.html
ISRAELI nuclear arms whistle blower Mordechai Vanunu will be barred from
leaving the country and face a series of other restrictions when he is
released from prison next week, an Israeli official said yesterday. Vanunu
is due to be freed from a prison in southern Israel on April 21 after
serving an 18-year sentence for treason and espionage.
Israel's Mossad spy agency captured him in Europe in 1986 after he disclosed
details and photos of Israel's top-secret nuclear plant and the country's
reputed nuclear weapons arsenal to the Sunday Times newspaper. The security
official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said authorities had decided
to impose a package of restrictions recommended by the Shin Bet security
service. Israeli security officials have said Vanunu may still have sensitive
information about Israel's nuclear program and fear he might disclose
it upon release.
The restrictions will bar Vanunu from leaving Israel, from approaching
border terminals and foreign embassies, and communicating with foreigners,
including foreign residents of Israel. The restrictions on foreign contact
apply to face-to-face meetings, telephone conversations and standard or
electronic mail, the official said. Vanunu would also be barred from discussing
his work at Israel's nuclear plant or the circumstances surrounding his
capture. Vanunu will be allowed to live anywhere he chooses inside Israel,
the official said, but would require police permission to travel in the
country.
The package of restrictions will be re-evaluated after six months, and
might be eased if Vanunu fulfills his obligations.
The official said Interior Minister Avraham Poraz and the head of the
army's home command both approved the package of restrictions, based on
emergency regulations dating back to 1945.
A spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry declined to comment on the issue.
The security official said Vanunu had been asked to sign a statement that
he would abide by the restrictions, but so far has failed to do so. He
was unable to say if a refusal to sign would delay Vanunu's release.
Vanunu, who was a technician at the nuclear plant in the desert town of
Dimona, served more than a decade in solitary confinement after being
convicted in an Israeli court.
Vanunu, who has converted to Christianity, has said he wanted to leave
Israel after his release and move to the United States to live with a
Minnesota family which adopted him in the mistaken belief he would be
granted American citizenship. Based partly on photographs that Vanunu
provided the British newspaper, it is widely believed Israel has a large
stockpile of nuclear weapons. The CIA recently estimated Israel has 400
nuclear weapons.
Yesterday, human rights and anti-nuclear campaigners, who have fought
for the release of Vanunu, criticised the restrictions and said they would
push for their removal. A spokesman for Amnesty international said: "Mordechai
Vanunu must be released as planned and there must be no conditions attached
to his release. We have asked the UK government to maintain strong pressure
on the Israeli authorities to ensure that Mr Vanunu's basic rights are
respected."
A spokesman for CND said: "This is a courageous
man who has already suffered for the simple act of telling the truth.
We would urge that these restrictions are lifted."
………………………………………
26 New generation marching for peace
April 15 2004
http://icberkshire.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/sloughandwindsor/tm_objectid=14150633&method=full&siteid=50102&headline=new-generation-marching-for-peace-name_page.html
ANTI-NUCLEAR protestors were tired but jubilant at the end of a four-day
walk from London to the nuclear weapons facility at Aldermaston. Slough4Peace
members joined marchers over the Easter weekend to draw attention to the
development of the next generation of weapons at the site. Approaching
the facility at around 3pm on Monday, the 300 marchers were cheered loudly
by hundreds of colleagues who had arrived earlier that afternoon.
Slough4Peace spokesman Toby Evans, said: "It was a marvellous feeling.
I believe a new generation of activists was created at the weekend. The
expansion of Aldermaston has been very low key in the national media and
this was an effective way of raising the profile of the issue."
One of the helpers from Slough4Peace, Ian Taylor, agreed adding: "A
lot of people haven't heard what is happening at Aldermaston. We have
organised the march itself, the CND organised the rally
in Trafalgar Square, and the AWPC the Sunday events. It has been six months
of organisation and has been almost a full-time job arranging food, accommodation
and transport for luggage."
Once at Aldermaston, the protest at the compound included jugglers, speakers,
and a treasure hunt for weapons of mass destruction. The protest, which
mirrored the first ever Easter march in 1958, began on Good Friday in
Trafalgar Square and headed out towards Southall. Marchers stayed the
night there before leaving for Slough on Saturday and arriving to the
sound of drums in the Town Square late afternoon.
Before turning in that evening, the marchers enjoyed a gig at an undisclosed
location with special guest Nik Turner from Hawkwind and his band Weapons
of Mass Destruction.
One of the organisers from the group, Ki Ellwood, who had taken part in
the march, said it was raising awareness and the response along the route
had been 'fantastic'. "Lots of people said they had not heard of
the plans at Aldermaston," she said.
But while the march passed peacefully and safely Thames Valley Police
expressed 'disappointment' at the behaviour of some protestors on the
London to Aldermaston march.
Supt Jim Trotman, area commander of West Berkshire Police area, said:
"The march from Oxford has been exemplary and I would like to express
my thanks to the demonstrators for their consideration. However, the level
of co-operation shown by some of the people marching from London has been
disappointing," he said. Mr Trotman added officers had to intervene
and halt the march on several occasions due to people walking in the road.
He said the marchers were 'putting their own lives and that of other road
users at risk, and not complying with police requests'.
Mr Evans admitted there may have been individual cases of protestors not
complying with officers' requests, but these were isolated. "There
were some problems but I think it speaks for itself that nobody was injured
and there were no arrests. The police did not have to take further action,"
he said. "All I can say is we were stewarding the event as much as
possible, but you cannot be responsible for every single individual."
He added marchers used quieter routes such as alongside the Union canal
rather than the busy Uxbridge Road to keep protestors safe
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