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PRESS RELEASE
Protesters are locked on to a 25ft mock Trident nuclear submarine outside
the Scottish Parliament
10 March 2005: For immediate release
Anti-Nuclear Protesters from across the country are locked on to a 25
foot mock Trident nuclear Submarine outside the Scottish Parliament today.
They are raising awareness of the UK’s obligations under the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty to get rid of Trident. There are 17 people inside
the submarine locked on including a member of the Scottish Parliament
Rosie Kane MSP. They began their protest at 10.15 this morning. A number
of MEPs have come outside the parliament building to show their support.
There have been no arrests as yet although the protests will not move
until their Trident submarine has been dismantled – symbolising
the dismantling of the real Trident subs.
The protesters are taking their message to the Scottish parliament because
Westminster has refused to listen. On the 10th October 2004 the same submarine
was outside Downing Street with protesters locked on. The British Government
did not dismantle the submarine, just as it refuses to dismantle Trident.
In Scotland 70% of people oppose Trident.
Mell Harrison who is taking part in the protest said,
“We’ve taken Trident to the Scottish Parliament to show how
easy it could be to dismantle Trident. We’re staying here till they’ve
dismantled the model of Trident, as long as it takes whether that’s
days or weeks. Over 70% of Scottish people don’t want Trident so
we’re staying here until they show us that they can dismantle Trident.
We want the Scottish parliament to put more pressure on Westminster to
say this has got to happen. With the NPT review coming up in May we feel
that it is extremely important for the nuclear weapon states to disarm,
so that other countries won’t feel they have to develop nuclear
weapons, because they won’t feel threatened by ours. These weapons
are illegal and immoral and we will continue to use direct action until
our voices are listened to.”
Rosie Kane MSP (Scottish Socialist Party, Glasgow Region) who is locked
on,
“70% of the Scottish public say they are opposed to nuclear weapons.
As an elected representative I represent more people sitting on the street
than I do sitting in a debating chamber. We’ve raised this issue
many times with the Scottish executive. We’ve asked that they speak
out in opposition to Trident. We have asked that they take power from
Westminster over these weapons of mass destruction but their ears remain
closed. The Scottish Socialist Party, the Scottish Green party and the
Scottish National Party as well as independents in the parliament are
opposed to Nuclear Weapons. We are all united in asking the executive
to take action. You can join us on our protests here and in the future.
You can ask Westminster to pass power to the Scottish Parliament. We can
refuse to have nuclear weapons moved on our roads so their hands are not
tied. If they’re not going to do anything then could they explain
to the tax payers why we have no money for hospitals, public housing and
schools, yet we have money for Weapons of Mass Destruction.”
Kate Hudson, Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament congratulated
protesters,
“Trident is an illegal and immoral nuclear weapon of mass destruction
and must be scrapped. Despite giving an “unequivocal undertaking
to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals” in
2000 the UK government has made no progress towards disarmament. In fact
in March 2002, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said that the government reserved
the right to use nuclear weapons even against non-nuclear weapon states.
Such a policy is a breach of our legal obligations under the Non-Proliferation
Treaty and highlights the nuclear hypocrisy of government policy. This
year is the 60th anniversary of the nuclear bombs being dropped on Hiroshima
and Nagasaki. We must abolish these immoral and illegal weapons now.”
There are members of Trident Ploughshares, Scottish CND, National CND
and Theatre of War taking part in the protest.
end
Notes to Editor:
- For further interviews and updates on the protest please
contact Mel on 07760161755 or Emma 07748447224
- For further information on Trident and the NPT please
contact Ruth Tanner CND's Press & Communications Officer on 0207
7002350 or 07968 420859
- The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference
takes place in New York in May 2005. The Non- Proliferation Treaty opened
for signature in 1968, and entered into force in 1970. A total of 187
parties have joined the Treaty, including the five declared nuclear-weapon
states (US, UK, Russia, China, France). More countries have ratified
the NPT than any other arms limitation and disarmament agreement, a
testament to the Treaty's significance. At the 2000 NPT Review conference
the UK and the four other declared nuclear weapons states signed a final
document in which they gave an ‘unequivocal undertaking to accomplish
the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals’, one of 13 agreed
steps for the systematic and complete elimination of nuclear weapons.
The UK must comply with its obligations under the NPT and abolish all
nuclear weapons. Under its international treaty obligations treaty obligations
the UK government has made no progress towards disarmament in the past
five years. In March 2002, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said that the
government reserved the right to use nuclear weapons even against non-nuclear
weapon states. Such a policy is a breach of our legal obligations and
highlights the nuclear hypocrisy of government policy.
- Link to content of 2000 NPT Conference agreement -
http://disarmament.un.org:8080/wmd/npt/2005/index-PC3.html
- 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.
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