Nuclear weapons crime in the UK has been reported to Thames Valley Police.
Members and supporters of Action AWE will today at 5pm end their four day fast at the UK nuclear warhead factory AWE Burghfield in Berkshire, in commemoration of the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by US nuclear bombs in 1945. They have been fasting there since 6 August, the anniversary of the destruction of Hiroshima, only drinking water.
Julia Mercer, one of those taking part in the fast, says; “What struck me during those days fasting next to AWE Burghfield is the contradiction between the beauty of the weather and the summer sky, and the appalling ugliness of the military base, its violence, protected by wire and electric fences.”
During the last four days, the peace activists painted shadows of bodies on the road leading to the main gate of AWE Burghfield, On Wednesday, they walked the 15 miles from AWE Burghfield to AWE Aldermaston and back, where billions are being invested in new facilities for research and production of new nuclear weapons, even though officially a decision to replace Trident has not yet been made.
Yesterday, they held up a wool scarf across the main entrance of AWE Burghfield - part of a project to connect AWE Burghfield and AWE Aldermaston with thousands of pieces of knitting in August next year [1].
Angie Zelter, one of the organisers of Action AWE, says: “I am pleased with the local support we received in the last four days. But this time we were just here fasting, not disrupting the work going on inside AWE Burghfield. We have been reading accounts of the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, while the work continues at AWE Burghfield, maintaining and creating ever more destruction. We will be coming back at the end of the month for a Disarmament Camp, and I hope that we will be joined by many more people, and then we will take action to disrupt the work at AWE Burghfield.” [2]
Pictures of the fast are available at http://actionawe.org/fast-at-awe-burghfield-photos-from-6-august-2013/.
Ends.
Contacts
Andreas Speck, 07460-225342 or [email protected]
Angie Zelter, 0845-4588-367 or [email protected]
Notes for editors
[1] Wool Against Weapons is aiming to link AWE Burghfield and AWE Aldermaston (7 miles apart) with a huge knitted wool pink peace scarf on 16 August 2014. More information on http://www.woolagainstweapons.co.uk/
[2] The AWE Burghfield Disarmament Camp will take place from 26th August to 7th September 2013, including a big blockade of AWE Burghfield on 2nd September 2013 (http://tridentploughshares.org/awe-burghfield-summer-disarmament-camp-2013/ and http://actionawe.org/burghfield-blockade-leaflet-2nd-september-2013/)
