A Trident warhead convoy was halted by protesters near to Newcastle on Wednesday morning. In the afternoon it was stopped again just North of Faslane near Helensburgh. Nukewatch, Scottish CND and Faslane Peace Camp were all involved in tracking and demonstrating against the convoy.
The convoy was loaded with Trident warheads at the end of last week at AWE Burghfield near to Reading. It left on Monday morning to travel to RAF Wittering near to Peterborough for an overnight stop. On Tuesday it travelled to Albermarle Barracks near to Newcastle. As it left there at 9.30 am on Wednesday Newcastle Nukewatchers brought it to a halt, c limbed on top of it and locked themselves to it. The convoy was stopped for half an hour. The five people arrested were taken to Hexham police station. They appear in Court on Thursday.
Preparations had been made to hold a demonstration in Charing Cross anticipating that the convoy would take its normal route on the M8 through the centre of Glasgow. However is used an alternative route travelling via Stirling and Balloch. Near to Stirling the Nukewatch tracking vehicle was stopped by traffic police. When asked what they were doing they told the police that they were following illegal nuclear weapons. The policewomen duly reported this over the radio to her superior, there was then several moments silence over the radio, they were obviously taken aback that the police officer was repeating our line.
The warhead carriers were on the last stage of their journey travelling from Loch Lomond to Garelochhead through Glen Fruin when they were stopped again. Faslane Peace Campers outsmarted the huge police and military escort which travels with the nuclear weapons. At 4.30 pm the vehicles slowed down to crawl up a very steep hill. Protesters emerged from the trees and waved the 48 tonne trucks to a stand still. Before police personnel could respond six people locked themselves to the underneath of the vehicles. Eventually the police cut them free and six of them were arrested. The convoy was stationary for 40 minutes and it was dark before they moved off
There were live Radio interviews with Scot FM and BBC Scotland when it was made clear that these weapons of mass destruction are illegal.
Brian Quail, joint secretary of Scottish CND said: ‘These weapons are illegal and immoral. The people from both sides of the border who have taken action to stop them today should be congratulated instead of being arrested.’