In Brief...

People's Navy halted
On 11 March, British human rights protesters Peter Bouquet and Jon Castle, both former Greenpeace captains, were intercepted at sea off the island base of Diego Garcia by a British warship. They were detained for allegedly "entering waters illegally" on board their vessel, Musichana.
The two men are part of a group called the People's Navy and were demonstrating against the removal of the Chagos Islanders from their homes on Diego Garcia nearly 40 years ago to make way for a military base, and against the admitted use of the base by the US for bombing of Iraq and rendition flights.

DU site entered On 13 March, civilian "weapons inspectors" entered Dundrennan test range, in south–west Scotland, during five days of test–firing of depleted uranium (DU) shells, something that has not happened for five years.
The inspectors reported that red flags were flying but there was no evidence of testing. During 90 minutes exploring inside they were observed by two patrol vans which made no attempt to intervene.
They found a bombed–out tank, new observation posts, a bomb crater, some debris and MoD signs saying: "Avoid picking up any debris as it may explode and kill you".
No inspector was detained or questioned.

One in, one out
On 18 March, Catholic Worker Fr. Martin Newell was sentenced by Stratford Magistrates Court to five days jail for refusal to pay £440 in fine, costs, compensation and victim support.
The penalty was imposed on him for "criminal damage" during a "Rivers of Blood" demonstration at the DSEi arms fair in East London in September 2007.
Fellow Catholic Worker Zelda Jeffries, appearing on the same charge for the same action, also refused to pay the £240 penalty. However she was not immediately imprisoned: the court gave her a week to tell them her bank details so they could take the fine out of her bank account.