Nuclear weapons crime in the UK has been reported to Thames Valley Police.
Basingstoke Gazette
by Helen Morton, Senior Reporter
ANTI-NUCLEAR activists from across Europe are set to stage a blockade at AWE Burghfield on Monday.
Hundreds of protestors are set to block all entrances to the Atomic Weapons Establishment from 7am, which will bring work on Trident warheads to a halt.
Campaigners from Finland, Sweden, Spain, France and Belgium will be among those travelling to join the blockade, which is one of an escalating number of protests organised by Action AWE.
The group is stepping up protests to increase political pressure in the run-up to the General Election.
In 2016 the Government is expected to decide whether to spend more than £100 billion on a new generation of Trident nuclear weapons for the next 50 years.
Opponents are undertaking a series of peaceful actions next month aimed at raising public and political awareness of the costs and consequences of nuclear weapons.
Andrew Dey, of Action AWE, said: “It’s time for Britain to join other UN nations in negotiating an international nuclear ban treaty.
“We’re not calling for AWE Burghfield or Aldermaston to be immediately shut down.
“We’re calling for the manufacture and modernisation of nuclear weapons of mass destruction to end.
“The bases can be used for disarmament purposes, employees need not lose their jobs.”
Tuuli Vuori, who is travelling from Finland to join the blockade, said: “This is not just an issue for Britain.
“We support Scotland’s right to become nuclear free, and call on the UK to cancel Trident, stop threatening the world with accidental or intentional nuclear disaster, and support negotiations to ban and eliminate all nuclear weapons.”
A spokesperson for AWE said: “AWE recognises the democratic right of individuals to participate in lawful and peaceful protest activities.
“We have been working closely with both Thames Valley Police and the Ministry of Defence Police to ensure the safety and security of the Aldermaston and Burghfield sites and to ensure the impact on local residents is minimised.”
Source: Basingstoke Gazette
