"PROTECTING THE SPECIES" ACTION DAY

At 2pm on 14 August activists at the Trident Ploughshares peace camp being held at Peaton Wood, near Coulport had a day of action in protest against the Ministry of Defence on the decision to provide a nesting box for Ospreys. Part of the action included 3 activists dressing up as birds, 1 as a cockroach, and there was also "Willis" a dog.

Their aim was to expose the hypocrisy of the Ministry of Defences policy on conservation. Activist Heather Stewart said today that a nesting box for ospreys has been kindly erected at RNAD Coulport base where trident missiles are loaded onto submarines. It was pointed out that nuclear weapons made all life on the planet (with the possible exception of cockroaches) in danger of extinction. The ospreys have so far declined to take up residence, obviously they are aware of the dangers within the base.

Also taking part in the continuing protest against nuclear weapons were Trident Ploughshares activists, Roger Franklin(75),David Heller(26),David McKenzie(57),Claes Pettersson(24), Elisa Silvennoinen(19),Heather Stewart(17) and Jane Tallents(44) who were all arrested for offences of malicious mischief and breaching bye-laws at the base. This brings the number of arrests during the summer 2002 Trident Ploughshare camp to 53 to date.

Ivor Birnie from Trident Ploughshares today said 'The amount of arrests during the action, from such a broad range of nationalities show that there is such an international outrage against the use of nuclear weapons."