Members of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) gathered outside the Ministry of Defence in London on a warm Saturday morning to demonstrate their opposition to ALL nuclear weapons, in particular Britain's own contribution to proliferation - Trident.
The focus of attention for press photographers and international tourists, who had come to see the Prime Minister's official residence across the road (10 Downing Street), was a black coffin adorned with radiation symbols and RIP-NPT and eight people dressed in white suits and death masks carrying large flags of the nations known to possess nuclear weapons.
These protesters then draped the flags around their shoulders and played a very uneven game of football on the MoD lawn with the P5 trying to stop Israel, India and Pakistan from kicking the large, inflatable globe. The game was terminated when the US ran-off with the ball and the UK and France stole the goalposts (actually two nuclear warheads).
This resulted in the referee, dressed as the Grim Reaper, awarding free kicks to Israel, India and Pakistan against a P5 wall of defenders which proved impenetrable. The event was concluded, as is the custom, with a full team photograph with the junior members kneeling in front of their more senior and experienced colleagues standing with crossed arms above them.
As the players were suffering from heat exhaustion they took on liquid refreshment before proceeding to the next round. Led by Dave Knight, Chair CND, the coffin was carried around the building followed by a formal line of flags held at 45 degrees (the procession was longer than expected as several men and women in smart blue uniforms joined us).
Dave climbed the imposing steps of the MoD and asked the stern-faced security guard if he would kindly deliver CND's letter to George Robertson, Minister of Defence, which explained what we would like HM Government to do at the Conference on Disarmament (thank you to those of you who faxed supporting messages which were enclosed). He was unmoved by Dave's careful diplomacy (and unimpressed by his entourage) and said we would have to send it by post.
The last paragraph of the letter stated: CND is one of over 1000 organisations world wide which supports the goals of Abolition 2000, the global elimination of nuclear weapons by international treaty within an agreed framework. The India and Pakistani tests will be seen as a testament to the failure of containment and partiality by the existing non-proliferation regime. A new approach is urgently needed and eagerly awaited.