Commons lobby filled with singers objecting to Trident

Action AWE
Contact Symon Hill (07920 037 719) or Angie Zelter (07456 588 943)

News release - 11.03.15

Commons lobby filled with singers objecting to Trident

MPs have been taken by surprise by about twenty people who entered the lobby of the House of Commons this morning and performed an oratorio called Trident is a War Crime. They are calling on MPs not to support “state terrorism” through nuclear weapons.

They say they have turned to singing because so many MPs are failing to listen to the public, as polls consistently show a majority of the public are against renewing the Trident nuclear weapons system. The protest comes shortly ahead of this week’s Prime Minister’s Questions, due in the Commons at noon today.

The singing protest is the latest sign of increasingly vocal opposition to Trident as the general election approaches. Government is slashing funding to public services to fund new nuclear weapons in advance of the formal decision to renew Trident next year.

The oratorio was written by the composer Camilla Cancantata, who has endorsed today’s protest.

The singers, who are from various parts of Wales and England, are members of Action AWE. Many of them were involved in last week’s peaceful blockade of the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), which is based at Aldermaston and Burghfield in Berkshire.

Angie Zelter, co-founder of Action AWE, who lives in the Brecon & Radnor constituency, said:

“MPs do not seem to understand the moral and legal consequences of threatening mass destruction with nuclear weapons. They have lost their humanity and moral integrity. We are hoping that by hearing this powerful and moving oratorio, they will be moved in their hearts. We are singing about life and death.”

The composter of the oratorio, Camilla Cancantata, said:

“This piece is not meant to be a passive listening experience. It was not written for a concert hall audience who listen, applaud and then go away and forget. The words and music are meant to engage and challenge the people in our society who have the constitutional power to ensure Britain upholds international law and abandons all nuclear weapons. We are using song rather than spoken word because we want to give the words weight, urgency and emotional resonance.”

ENDS

Notes

1. Action AWE is a grassroots campaign of nonviolent actions dedicated to halting nuclear weapons production at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), which is located at Aldermaston and Burghfield in Berkshire. Action AWE is committed to active nonviolence. It includes people of several religions and none. See http://www.actionawe.org
2. The singers began performing in the Commons lobby at about 10.00am today (Wednesday 11 March 2015).
3. A decision on Trident renewal is due in 2016. Despite the fact that a decision has yet to be made, the government is spending around £1bn of taxpayers’ money every year on the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), where Trident nuclear warheads are developed. It was revealed on Sunday (8 March) that key aspects of the work had been heavily delayed due to design, planning and budget problems.
4. Polls consistently show that the majority of the British public opposes Trident renewal. Please see http://cnduk.org/campaigns/no-to-trident/opinion-polls (external site).
5. Media are welcome to contact Symon Hill on 07920 037 719 or Angie Zelter on 07456 or 588 943.