TRIDENT PLOUGHSHARES 2000
Humans Behaving Responsibly

by David Mackenzie
(from the summer 2000 issue of Heddwch, newsletter of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament/Wales)

In Scotland

Gradually it is dawning on the various authorities that we are just not going away. In Scotland, trials drag on from last year's actions, usually for breach of the peace, malicious damage or breach of the military bye-laws at the Faslane sub base and Coulport nuclear weapons store. The defenses are many and varied, from a full presentation of the case under international law for the illegality of Trident to straightforward moral arguments. There are also interesting lines of defense related to the incorporation of the European Convention of Human Rights into Scottish Law as a result of devolution. These are not merely technical defenses but touch on basic civil rights such as the right to protest peacefully and the duty on prosecuting authorities to frame criminal charges in specific terms. The 185 arrests at the February blockade have produced three types of response from the local Procurator Fiscal (local prosecutor). Some arrestees have been cited to appear in court and almost all of them will plead not guilty. Some trials from that event have already been set for the autumn, including that of Tommy Sheridan, a Member of the Scottish Parliament. Tommy's trial is on 4th October. Others have been told by letter that on this occasion they will not be brought to court but if they offend again... Yet others have been offered a fixed penalty which has been without exception refused, so far as we know. The local courts are obviously feeling the strain, as evidenced by the longer and longer time it is taking to process plea hearings, intermediate hearings and actual trials to unfold.

.... and England

Most of the 55 people arrested at the May Ploughshares camp at the Aldermaston nuclear weapons establishment have not yet been charged but have been bailed to return to the local police station at various times. The theory behind this is that the police will use the time between arrest and possible charge to further investigate the "crime". Since most arrests were for blockading this does not make much sense since the facts could be easily and quickly established. Fence cutters were charged with malicious damage and bailed to stay away from the base. These court processes will come to fruition amidst a number of other trials in England, notably that of Rosie James and Rachel Wenham at Manchester Crown Court from 11th September for their good work on the Trident submarine HMSVengeance on 1st February 1999 [the Aldermaston Women Trash Trident action].

Unnatural justice

The build-up in the court processes will inevitably mean prison sentences and bailiff action for the non-payment of fines and compensation orders. This is already affecting the Midlands affinity group. This group cut the Aldermaston fence last summer and were given hefty compensation orders. South Gloucester Magistrates Court has set the bailiffs on Roger Franklin, permitting them to take his property in compensation. Marlene Yeo appeared in Loughborough magistrates on the same matter. Interestingly enough, the court paid some attention to her statement. Instead of setting the bailiffs on Marlene to recover the costs or sending her to prison, the court indicated it would pass on her statement to the Atomic Weapons Establishment and seek its view as the "injured party" before making its decision. Marlene said, "I do not intend to pay my share of the repair costs. AWE Aldermaston manufactures the nuclear warheads which are used by the British Trident nuclear submarines, and which are so destructive as to be incompatible with international and British laws of warfare."

Hubble bubble

And more is brewing, both within individual affinity groups and through our concerted efforts. We are looking forward to the big blockade of Faslane on 1st August (along with the culmination of the Peace Walk from Aldermaston) and the subsequent 14 day disarmament camp at Coulport. We have 169 pledgers, but new pledgers are being trained and signing up all the time. Our parliamentarian supporters now number an encouraging 71. We are not going away.