[Go back to related
issue of Nonviolent News]
'Readings in Nonviolence' features extracts
from our favourite books, pamphlets or other.
Pacifists and anti-war peace people are coming
from different parts to Faslane to protest in a non violent
way against Trident's nuclear weapons. We have been connected
to this one year action in different ways. It is in this context
that I asked MOC from Bilbao to write an account of their
action that took place on March 17th. I was sent the pictures
of the action which seemed specially creative and active and
thought that it would make a good piece for our Readings in
Nonviolence section. Maybe other groups can get new ideas
and join in. As the piece came in Spanish I translated it
so that we can all have it.
We invite you to also go to the cited webs that give us a
direct insight of what the action was all about.
Roberta Bacic
Faslane ‘in the red’ - A
blockade against Trident missiles by AA-MOC (Alternative
Antimilitarist-Movement of Conscientious Objection)
A group of 12 antimilitarists from the State
of Spain went to Glasgow, Scotland, on 17 March to blockade
the naval base at Faslane. The news that prompted this action
was the decision by Parliament to renew the British nuclear
arsenal at a cost of millions, including the submarines that
transport the Trident missiles.
There are protests against that decision. For
more than 25 years, the Faslane Peace Camp has continuously
demanded nuclear disarmament and the dismantling of the base.
Pushing for a commitment from the government not to produce
any new nuclear weapons, the international Faslane 365 Campaign
started in October 2006 with the aim of keeping permanent
and continuous blockades in front of the base for a whole
year.
The State Network of Alternative Antimilitarist-Movement
of Conscientious Objection (MOC), the group to which we belong,
decided to get involved in this civil resistance activity.
So we came with the firm determination to obstruct the access
to the military installation. We brought banners with the
inscription “Trident is terrorism”. The Faslane
365 activists offer good technical and legal support to the
groups that are willing to participate in its campaign. This
support is relevant as, by the time we took our action, around
600 people had already been arrested.
On the morning of the 17th March, half an hour
before going to the base, some of us rehearsed our action
in a wood close to the camp while others were to join us at
the gate. We knew that the police were waiting for us because
each action is publicised beforehand on the campaign’s
web. Near the north gate of the camp, the police approached
us and took away from us the bucket of red paint with which
we planned to decorate our banner on the suspicion that we
wanted to “redecorate“ the entrance fence to the
base. They didn’t believe our denials!
As we walked towards the gate, a car stopped
in front of us. A companion from the camp had secretly brought
the rest of the group so that we all arrived at the same time.
We quickly took out our banners and, hidden among them, our
buckets of red paint. We walked along the road at a steady
pace, but the police had noticed that we were hiding something
and they barred our way. Quickly, one of our group picked
up a bucket and poured red paint all over himself. From head
to toe!
The police were perplexed. They stepped back
while three others poured red paint over themselves. We all
continued to walk to the north gate. For about 45 minutes,
four people totally soaked in red paint and a few dozen others
were singing, dancing and shouting against nuclear weapons:
“no to war”... “trident is terror”...
“trident is blood! We also announced that, on that very
day of 17 March, several protests were taking place in the
Spanish State commemorating the start of the war against Iraq.
We heard the loudspeaker on the base report
that the north gate was closed!
We felt happy, we felt proud. The four of us
covered in red were arrested and taken to the police station,
accused of “disturbing the peace“ and “vandalism“,
but were freed without charge that same night. Later on the
fire-fighters cleaned the streets of the colour that so much
resembles blood.
The Faslane 365 campaign will last until September
2007. Campaigners are looking for more activists to become
engaged, especially from Europe. We feel great satisfaction
to have participated. Actions against Faslane are a symbol
of civil resistance for all of us, a way to expose and denounce
where the real weapons of mass destruction are.
We urge everyone to support the Faslane 365
campaign with all your imagination and enthusiasm.
To look at or download photos: http://www.box.net/shared/1d8sqy8gcy
The campaign’s website: http://www.faslane365.org
Support manifesto:http://www.faslane365.org/support/statement.php
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