Received on 24.03.17:
Yesterday evening at approximately 5.40pm, Peace Campers managed to bring the Nuclear Warhead Convoy to a full stop (again) on the A817, Haul Road, about a kilometre north of HMNB Clyde.
MoD police with sidearms and tasers were quick to react and as a helicopter circled above, the activists managed to leave without any arrests being made. The convoy moved off after a few minutes and is currently at RNAD (Royal Naval Armament Depot) Coulport .
This action took place at very short notice thanks to nukewatchers alertness and accurate location reports, and the Peace Campers rapid response.
Whilst we at Peace Camp have gotten somewhat used to the threat of imminent nuclear destruction (living in Tridents shadow at one of many potential “Ground Zero” locations) we strongly suspect that most people are unaware of the danger they unwittingly face as nuclear warheads pass close by them.
The very existence of nuclear warheads is bad enough, but to transport them by road past and through major population centres is beyond belief. Within a few kilometres of five potential accident sites in Birmingham, Preston, Wetherby, Newcastle and Glasgow for example, there are a total of 2.8 million people who could be at risk. There are also 1,181 schools, 131 railway stations, 56 hospitals, 47 major roads, 12 universities and three airports. They are all potentially vulnerable to the after-effects of a convoy accident.
Throughout the country, hundreds more communities and millions more people who live along or near the convoy routes are also at risk. Yet they get no warnings, have never agreed to accept the dangers and are essentially unaware that these deadly convoys pass close by their homes and workplaces.
Furthermore, the “MoD has confessed to eight real accidents involving nuclear weapons convoys between 1960 and 1991. In response to requests under freedom of information law, it has given outline details of a further 180 safety incidents that have plagued the convoy between 2000 and 2016. The convoy has crashed, broken down and got lost. Its brakes have failed, it has leaked fuel and suffered a range of other mechanical failures. Bad luck, poor weather, human error and computer software glitches have all been to blame.”
It seems to us that it is only a matter of time before a serious incident happens, the effects and repercussions of which are too complex and frightening to imagine. This is why we seek to hinder their progress and highlight the dangers and the incidence of these lethal convoys. If the UK persists in driving its warheads up and down the country – “the risk of a catastrophic accident or attack will persist. Whether the risk is tolerable is not a judgement that should be left to the MoD alone. It is one for the millions of people through whose towns and cities the convoys pass. They have the right to decide what’s tolerable – and what’s not!”
Please note that activists from Faslane Peace Camp are acutely aware of the dangers involved when taking action against a convoy – we are exceptionally careful in both the planning and execution of any and all actions – the only people we put at risk is ourselves (unlike the MoD)! We urge members of the public to refrain from taking action against these convoys (other than campaigning, etc.) due to the obvious inherent hazards – anyone who wants to learn more about direct action can contact us through the usual channels.
For more information about the convoys and their malignant cargo see:
“Nukes of Hazard: The Nuclear Bomb Convoys on Our Roads”
Warhead Assembly, Transport & Storage
