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PRESS RELEASE
Tens of Thousands to Gather in Manchester to Tell Labour: 'No Trident
Replacement'
20 September 2006: for immediate release
Tens of thousands of people from around Britain will gather in Manchester
this Saturday, 23 September, for a national demonstration to tell Tony
Blair and the Labour Party that the people do not want a new generation
of nuclear weapons in the UK. Demonstrators will also call for “Don’t
Attack Iran,” “Troops Home from Iraq,” and “Hands
off Lebanon.” Coaches have been organised in scores of towns around
the country, and a train has been chartered to take demonstrators to Manchester
from London.
Up to 100,000 people are expected to gather in Manchester’s Albert
Square at 1 pm on Saturday before setting off on a march through the city
centre at 2 pm, passing the site of next week’s Labour Party Conference.
Speeches will take place in Albert Square prior to the march, as well
as afterwards, and speakers include: Gemma Tumelty, NUS President; a message
from Walter Wolfgang; Tony Benn; Tony Woodley, TGWU; Brian Eno; Rose Gentle,
Military Families Against the War; Flight Lieutenant Malcolm Kendall-Smith;
Billy Hayes, CWU; Richard Horton, Editor, The Lancet; Craig Murray, former
UK ambassador to Uzbekistan; Keith Sonnet, UNISON; Jeremy Corbyn MP.
CND’s 4 metre tall ‘No Trident Replacement’ missile
will be in Albert Square on Saturday to remind people of the enormous
costs, both financial and in terms of global non-proliferation efforts,
of any Trident replacement.
Kate Hudson, Chair of CND, said:
“People are increasingly seeing the reality of the situation that
replacing Trident will start a new nuclear arms race. If Britain
insists that it needs nuclear weapons to ensure its security, other countries
will conclude the same, leading to increased proliferation.”
“Numerous religious leaders, including most recently the Pope and
the Archbishop of Wales, have spoken strongly against replacing Trident.
Last week the TUC voted overwhelmingly to oppose Trident replacement.
A poll in July showed that 59% oppose Trident replacement at a cost of
up to £25 billion (1), and the majority is increasing as more people
become aware of the facts.”
“It is time Tony Blair and the Labour government began listening
to the people, the overwhelming majority of whom are demanding the full
public and parliamentary debate which was promised by John Reid last year.”
end
Notes to Editor:
1. For a full copy of the July 2006 ICM poll, please contact Rick Wayman,
CND's Press & Communications Officer, on 0207 7002350 or 07968 420859
2. For further information and interviews please contact Rick Wayman,
CND's Press & Communications Officer, on 0207 7002350 or 07968 420859
3. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is one of Europe’s
biggest single-issue peace campaigns, with over 32,000 members in the
UK. CND campaigns for the abolition of all nuclear weapons everywhere.
www.cnduk.org
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