1/10/2006

Justice Not Terror Coalition/ Make Trident History – part of Faslane365 campaign (faslane365.org)

JNTC merged into a new coalition called Make Trident History. This local group is part of a year long campaign which started on October 1st 2006 and saw the start of an audacious civil resistance initiative to apply critical public pressure for the disarmament of Britain’s nuclear weapons. To make this happen, groups and organisations have been invited to come and shut down the base for at least one two-day period during the year.
The purpose of Faslane 365 is twofold: to bring people to witness and impede the nuclear base where Britain's nuclear weapons are deployed and enable them to demonstrate the range of serious concerns - from human rights to climate change - that people in the real world consider to be the vital challenges for the 21st century. In preventing nuclear 'business as usual' we also intend to highlight our real, human security needs, which will require a very different allocation of resources and action.

At a time when Tony Blair has put on the political agenda the prospect of spending between £40 and £76 billion more to keep nuclear weapons in Scotland until at least the year 2055, Faslane 365 will draw attention to the dangerous insecurity and waste of resources inherent in the Trident nuclear system, and will mobilise support for these nuclear mistakes to be disarmed.

Why go to Faslane?
Why not Devonport (where the Trident submarines go for their re-fit) or Aldermaston
(where nuclear warheads are refurbished and new warheads researched
and built)? Isn't there a risk that such a long blockade at Faslane might take?
away energy from the protests at these other places?
Faslane is where our nuclear weapons system is actively based - it is the home
base of Trident. It is thus of prime importance. However, there are many military
sites in the UK, where demonstrations and civil resistance need to be maintained
and built upon, so that people do not forget the complex military network
that keeps Trident ready for war. Faslane 365 is not going to replace protests
and civil resistance at these places. From past experience, it is more likely to
add energy and help these other places to become better known, so that the government
can see there is opposition to what is going on at all the nuclear bases.
In any nonviolent struggle should we not make sure there is a way out?
There is a way out. We will keep all doors open for dialogue and discussion
with the base and the Scottish and British politicians, who have overall responsibility
for decisions concerning Faslane. We will be establishing an experienced
dialogue and negotiation team that will try to talk to the politicians and
ask them to uphold international law. The Scottish Parliament can reject Trident
as being unlawful. With our pressure we may be able to help them do what they
have wanted to do for many years: get rid of weapons of mass destruction and
create a truly defensive defence approach that puts human security at the heart
of its work.

Weekly planning meetings for all those interested in getting
involved/joining a local blockading group:
Tuesdays, 7.30pm at Peace House, 224 Lisburn Road
Local group contact: Ph. Mark: 0773 781 9569
 Email Make.trident.history@ntlworld