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TRIDENT Activists declare island a "nuclear-free state"

  • Anna-Linnea Rundberg
    On Friday 13 May, 12 antinuclear campaigners established a peace camp on Drake's Island in Plymouth Sound, declaring it a nuclear-free state.
    The protest, which lasted a week, highlighted the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) - currently under its five-yearly review in New York - and how the British government fails to comply with its treaty obligations to work in good faith towards disarmament, instead maintaining its nuclear deterrent.
        The cyclical refit of Trident submarines takes place at Devonport Dockyard in Plymouth, and is one of several activities that clearly demonstrates that the government is not even considering disarming. HMS Vanguard was refitted at the dockyard between 2003 and 2004 and, in early 2005, HMS Victorious came in for its refit; it is expected to remain there for two to three years. Refits of the other subs - Vigilant and Vengeance - will follow during the rest of the decade.

    Issuing a challenge

    The Plymouth-based Trident Ploughshares group "Tamarians" (named after the river Tamar) had been planning the action for some time, and decided to occupy the historic military landmark Drake's Island a few hundred yards from mainland Plymouth as part of the run-up to the annual Devonport Disarmament Camp.
        By declaring the island a nuclear-free state, the settlers wanted to challenge their nextdoor neighbour, the City of Plymouth, to also become a nuclearfree zone, to refuse to host the refit of the nuclear submarines and to push for the scrapping of Trident.
        News of this nuclear-free state spread quickly to NGOs attending the NPT review conference in New York, as well as to the local media who, despite the rough seas, landed on the island for interviews on the first afternoon. The occupation was the main feature in the local South West TV news that evening.

    Centre of attention

    The spot chosen for the action could not have been more appropriate: facing Plymouth Hoe, with all the naval and commercial ships passing through the narrow sound between the island and the mainland, the nuclear-free state was very much in the public eye.
        The display of two huge banners on one of the tall empty buildings, reading "Scrap Trident" and "Ban the Bomb", together with countless rainbow-coloured peace flags scattered around the island, made a very clear and colourful presence.
        The settlers were evicted from Drake's Island on Thursday 19 May, one week after they had landed, and they left the island the way they found it. The two action-boats were loaded with all the camping equipment and were promptly navigated to the other side of the Sound, where another peace camp was immediately established in an old dry reservoir at Devil's Point.
        The same evening about 30 anti-nuclear activists arrived and filled the site with tents and banners, marking the start of the 2005 Devonport Disarmament Camp.

    Clowning around

    Around 6.45am the following day an attempt was made to blockade the main gate of Devonport Dockyard, but activists were penned in by the police, a few hundred yards away from the outer gates of the base. One member of Trident Ploughshares immediately lay down in the road as a protest and was arrested for Obstruction of the Highway - the day's only arrest.
        Not even the Totnes Regiment of the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army (pictured) could clown their way through the police line. However, a smaller group set off to check the other gates and found themselves successfully blockading Albert Gate, which they held for three hours.
        The next day, protesters joined the Lord Mayors Parade through the city, handing out 2,000 leaflets, and were occasionally applauded as they walked behind the Royal Naval Float with a banner reading "Trident is terrorism".
    Contact:
    Tamarians, Elizabeth, 077544 30465; 01822 833214     http://www.tridentploughshares.org
     The next Trident Ploughshares disarmament camp will be held in August at Coulport. See p12 for event details.
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