please read and forward, I haven't seen anything on this in the UK 
media, ian. 


------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
From:          Heather <[log in to unmask]>
To:            gsn <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:       1000 TP2000 arrests
Date:          Wed, 26 Aug 1998 23:07:56 +0100
Reply-to:      [log in to unmask]

ARRESTS REACH 100 AT DISARMAMENT ACTION

Australians brother and sister Jens and Anja Light
 were arrested with Trident Ploughshares 2000 co-ordinator Angie Zelter
 after spending over 30 minutes
inside the base between the security fence and 'razor wire' while the police
used an angle-grinder to open the fence and remove them. They have been
charged with 'malicious mischief' and are currently being held at
Strathclyde district police station.
We hope the British government is starting to understand our determination
to disarm Trident. The international media is following this event closely
and we want to remind the Government that they should take this opportunity
to be world leaders in the disarmament process. If countries like Britain
don't take take the initiative to disarm we will all be locked in the
deadly and expensive arms cycle forever," said Anja and Jens earlier today.

Meanwhile a Swedish Church minister was released at Dumbarton Sheriff Court
after breaching his bail conditions on 3 occasions by breaking into the
Trident base. During each arrest minister Fredric Ivarsson wore his dog
collar and carried a bible. Other members of the Corpus Christi group,
Klaus Engell and Petter Joelsson carried a hammer and bolt cutters.
Bringing a message of peace the Swedes say they will continue their actions
until the British government realises that "stockpiling nuclear weapons is
no solution to the threat of world conflict, all countries must learn to
negotiate with respect and love."

In 1992 anti nuclear activist/author Rick Paul Springer appeared on stage
with former President Ronald Reagan at the National Association of
Broadcasters convention at the Las Vegas Hilton. In an effort to announce
the fire alarm on the nuclear industry he dashed a crystal eagle on a
pedastal and approached the podium. He announced, Excuse Me, Mr.
President, which is now the title of his new book. Excuse Me, Mr.
President, The Message of the Broken Eagle may be viewed at
www.reninet.com/hobo or may be ordered through Broken Eagle Press POB 402
Arcata, Calif. 95518 USA


SWIMMING TO TRIDENT

By Rick Paul Springer
After walking a thousand kilometers with the Walk for Nuclear Disarmament
from the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium to Faslane, Scotland, the
home of the Trident nuclear weapons submarine, our 50 or so walkers joined
the Trident Ploughshares 2000 camp to plan actions to disarm the Trident
itself. This is the story of the effort of the affinity group, Titanic
Trident, who walked those thousand kilometers to board the Trident
submarine and beat it, symbolically into a plough, a farm tool, and to beat
it, in actuality in a way that would make it as useless as possible by
Swimming to Trident.
Please see the attached statement regarding why we are taking this action.
Our group of 10, composed of 3 active disarmers willing to face serious
jail consequences, 3 disarmers willing to cause damage with less severe
consequences, a media person, a legal supporter and orbserver, and two
supporters to cover loose ends, gather materials and see that out personal
posessions were returned home, went to work immediately gathering
information about the Trident submarine system.
We learned that rather than de-escalate the nuclear threat at the end of
the Cold War, the Trident fleet of four nuclear submarines represented a
significant escalation, with missiles capable of longer distances, greater
speed, more fire power, and more targets.
We studied several possible ways to disarm the Trident system from Trident
communications to missile loading equipment, from towed array used for
sonar communications to the missile launch tubes. We consulted local
activists from the long standing Faslane Peace Camp who have attempted and
succeeded at such actions in the past. We learned of their successes and
failures. We took tours of the Gareloch and Faslane area where Clyde RN
Submarine base is located and the Loch Long, home of RNAD Coulport, a
weapons depot, where Trident missiles are loaded, unloaded and stored. We
studied the Tri-Denting It Handbook which was complete with maps of the
bases, descriptions of the submarines and support systems, possible targets
and nonviolence pledges.
After a week of research we focused on the submarine, sitting in the water
at Faslane itself and decided to approach by water. Ministry of Defense
officers later explained that even the summertime water temperature of the
Gareloch is so cold that hypothermia and death happen in just fifteen
minutes of exposure. Choosing a water approach created an equipment list
that took another three days organize. We were fortunate that one of the
affinity groups had arrived with a selection of wet suits, fins, masks, and
snorkels. We found the best fitting suits we could and completed our
wardrobe with hammers, hacksaws, flares for emergency, and plastic jugs of
tarry goo. Our goal was to beat the missile tubes closed and pour tar into
the same tubes so that missiles could not be launched.
We performed a practice run at midnight on a clear and dreamy night across
the bay from Faslane on the west bank of the Gareloch. We tested the fit
of our wetsuits and our ability to withstand the cold. We swam up the bay
as we studied the Faslane Bay and ship lift warehouse where the Trident is
docked next to and sometimes dry docked for maintenance and repairs. We
stayed in the water for 45 minutes and felt as though we could double that
time if we had to. We decided to swim across the entire bay just after
midnight three nights later because it was the longest approach and
therefore the approach they would least expect.
The three active disarmers were Krista Van Zelzin, 23 of the Netherlands,
Katri Silvonen, 18 of Finland and myself, Rick Springer, 47 of the United
States. The other action members of our team planned a fence entry to
attempt a land approach of the Trident to increase our possible success
from all sides.
After a special 11:30 PM drop off, we dove down the bank to avoid being
spotted by the constant Strathclyde police patrols. We breathed deeply as
we secured our weight belts, fins, hammers, flares and jugs of tar. If our
dreams were realized and we were actually successful at disarming the
Trident we expected that we could be imprisoned for at least until our
trial and, if we lost our trial, many years. We entered the water at
11:45 and a cold chill filled our wet suits as we lay down into the
Gareloch. We began swimming to Trident as Katri explained to me that she
had never swam with flippers. It seemed all in the Creators hands now.
At about the center of the bay Krista pointed out a green light that just
appeared on the west bank from which we had come. She also noticed a red
light on a boat moving up the side we had just departed. "They must have
spotted us," she commented. I told her I suspected the green light was
only a vector light, a navigational aid, and the boat was just coincidence
but I became concerned myself when the boat seemed to be turning right
towards us. The concern of being run over had been considered and that
coupled with possible hypothermia were the reasons we carried waterproof
flares.
A bight spotlight landed 20 feet off the side of the boat descending upon
us. I suggested in a whisper that we take a deep breath and get ready to
submerge. I dipped under just as the spotlight hit my head and was amazed
to look at my suited body fully lit up under the water. I rarely felt so
exposed but as came to the surface I was amazed to see the 30 foot cabin
cruiser search boat continue on while the diesel hummed. Krista and Katri
told me that they had come to the surface in the middle of the spotlight.
I realized that the spotlight means nothing if there is not someone staring
at it and after hours of cruising the bay staring at a spot of light must
be mesmerizing. The spotlight also destroys the viewers night vision so
anything outside the light is nearly invisible.
We began swimming again feeling somewhat more buoyant and excited. The
huge shiplift building loomed ahead for an eternity when suddenly the
shadow of the boom surrounding Faslane Bay became visible. The boom, a
huge floating sausage connected to a huge round ball and then another
sausage creating the inner bay, was only eighty yards off as a Zodaic
inflatable came zooming in between us. They shined their search light at
the base of the boom but it seemed to me impossible for them to spot a
swimmer at the speed they were going. The sea birds resting on the boom
squaked and resettled as the boat went by. Our fears of being given away
by squaking birds were calmed as we gently approached. I cooed softly like
a pigeon and they barely moved as we slid in between the sausage and ball,
no netting, no trip wires. We realized that we had made it to Faslane Bay.
And there before us, only three or four hundred yards more swim was the
evil Trident submarine, docked on the right side of the Shiplift building.
The three of us gently cruised forward out into the bay when Krista noticed
three tiny figures standing on the left front of the Shiplift. They were
so tiny, I was hoping she was wrong and they would prove to be just garbage
on the dock but by the time we had covered half the bay to the Trident, we
could see the glow of their cigarettes with each puff. And then they moved.
With the tremendous Las Vegas style lighting of Faslane, we could barely
conceive that we had not been spotted. Krista urged, "Let's go for it,"
and began swimming faster towards the Trident. I slowed down, attempting
to size up the situation and also responding to cramps in my calves. I was
shivering intensely by this time, my whole body shaking as I decided to
swim wide of the shiplift hoping to stay out of sight range. The women
were 50 yards ahead and nearly touching the pilings of the dock when one of
the three smokers yelled in a woman's voice, "H A L T!!! H A L T !!! I
watched her run across the dock to the right side of the building and grab
at a box. When she came over to the edge of the dock her silhouette
clearly held a machine gun type rifle. She pointed it down at the Katri
and Krista and continued screaming conflicting orders. "Stay there! Come
here!" At the same time more lights came on and a huge load speaker system
announced in a booming voice, "Bandits on the Base. Bandits on the Base!"
It was only a moment more before the female officer spotted me as I tried
to swim around the melee. She pointed the rifle my way but with my wet
suit hood covering my ears, her voice was muffled and something told me she
wouldn't shoot me as I continued swimming to Trident. My partners had a
better view of the woman with her rifle and remained floating at the bottom
of the dock, their feet dangling in the water perhaps only five meters from
the end of our goal.
I continued swimming realizing now that with four or five short underwater
bursts, I could slither out onto the back surfaced area, next to the rear
fin and wings and perhaps have a chance to take a few delicious whacks at
the beast before they whacked me. In what seemed to be three minutes a
zodiac came zooming out of the dark in back of the Trident. They passed me
to pick up the women and I made one underwater spurt, feeling my right calf
cramping as I did. I surfaced to see the Zodiac coming my way with Krista
and Katri on board. I had a dilemma. I could evade the Zodiac and get to
the Trident or I could surrender. The nonviolence guidelines are quite
clear that once spotted, running is prohibited, but swimming fast has yet
to enter the anti-nuclear movement nonviolence bylaws.
There is fine dance that happens in our effort to convert these missiles to
farm tools. It is a dance that happens when one human being makes a stand,
looks another human being in the eye, and refuses violence. I climbed into
the Zodiac and when I stood up, the Navy seal slapped me on the arm and
said, "Well, done man. No one had ever gotten that close to a Trident
before." I remembered the old adage that "the best way to destroy your
enemy is to make them your friend." One friend by one friend we will
disarm that Trident. Keep swimming!

Note from Faslane peacecamp:
On 2 previous occasions 2 young peacecampers, Scots Mhairi, and New Zealand
Claire
swam out to the submarine and boarded it. The first time they entered the
control room to find it unoccupied,
and used the telephone to phone the peacecamp, giggling, to tell them where
they were(knowing the phone is bugged!) The second time they just popped
their heads through the hatch and said "hello!- we're from the peacecamp!"
Allthough they were both arrested, these occasions are so acutely
embarrassing to the M.oD
that they simply sweep it under their carpet, denying that security has been
breached! They are currently
still claiming that no security has been breached by the TP activists!

SWIMMERS ONCE AGAIN REACH TRIDENT NUCLEAR SUBMARINE
TWO INTERNATIONAL FOR MOTHER EARTH CAMPAIGNERS ARRESTED

Tonight two For Mother Earth campaigners breached the high security at the
Clyde Naval Base in Faslane, Scotland. This is their second spectacular
action this week,
Four other activists, three UK women and
a Australian man, were sent to Scottish prisons last Friday.
. Alex Salmond, leader of the Scottish National
Party, Rob Green, a former UK Naval Commander, and Australian Senator Bob
Brown, are amongst the many who have shown support for this campaign, to
rid Scotland of the illegal nuclear weapons system.

Krista van Velzen (23 - Netherlands) and Katri Silvonen (20 - Finland),
both full-time campaigners at the office of 'For Mother Earth'
International in Belgium, swam for one and a half hours across the ice-cold
Gare Loch, penetrating the heart of Britain's first strike nuclear weapon
system at 3:15 a.m.
Tonights attempt follows a first attempt made in the early hours of August
17th, where they were arrested within only a few yards of a Trident nuclear
submarine. Tonight, according to an independent monitoring source, they
came even closer, one activist climbing onto the ship-lift above the
Trident submarine.

The activists were arrested by the MOD at Faslane, and will possibly be
greeted once again with high respect by the astonished security forces.
Although first met with fear and distrust, the activists say that the MOD
and local Strathclyde Police are displaying growing sympathy for the
commitment and challenging non-violent methods employed by the emerging
international Trident Ploughshares 2000 movement.

'If they send me to join the three other women in a Scottish jail, I can
only state that they arrest the wrong people. We as citizens have the legal
obligation to stop the preparation of crimes against humanity under the UN
approved Nuremberg Charter', states the 20 year Finnish campaigner Katri
Silvonen.

Twenty three year old Dutch citizen Krista van Velzen says 'We have no
doubt that this Ploughshares movement is going to force Westminster to
fullfil its commitment under Article VI of the nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty by the year 2000. The people of the UK, nor the global community,
want these costly weapons of mass destruction. It is time to invest this
waste of money and resources into meeting real social needs'.


FOREIGN TRIDENT NUCLEAR SUBMARINE DISARMERS RELEASED
ONE MORE UK CAMPAIGNER REMANDED
TP2000 MOVEMENT PRESSES CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST UK GOVERNMENT

Today Helen John, a 60 year old detirmened disarmer, was remanded in
custody in Cornton Vale Prison till her Court appearance in Helensburgh on
September 29. Yesterday she attempted to disarm nuclear weapons at the
Coulport Naval Base in Scotland (40 miles NW of Glasgow). Surprisingly
Katri Silvonen (20) from Finland and Krista van Velzen (23) from the
Netherlands, two full-time'For Mother Earth' campaigners working in
Belgium, were released at the same court. These two young women had
breached, for the second time in one week, the high security at the heart
of Britain's Trident nuclear submarine weapon system, by swimming carrying
hammers, boltcutters and other disarmament tools. Hanna Jarvinen (21),
another Finnish For Mother Earth campaigner, was also released. Pol
D'Huyvetter from Belgium, TP2000 Press Officer, stated: 'I suspect that the
British government intends to counter the swelling controversy abroad by
releasing the foreign campaigners who have committed the most significant
offenses breaching military security. How do you otherwise explain that Mr.
Donnelly the Procurator Fiscal has dropped all charges against the foreign
activists.Though making headlines in the foreign press, here in the UK
press coverage has been minimal up to today.'

Citizens' Complaint against UK government accepted at Police headquarters
Yesterday an international delegation of the peace movement filed
succesfully a Citizens' Complaint against Members of the UK government and
employees of UK nuclear weapons establishment at the headquarters of the
Dumbarton Police. Stephen Allcroft, Morag Balfour and Koen Moens of TP2000,
George Farebrother of the World Court Project UK, and Brian Quail of
Scottish CND and TP2000, talked Mr. Superintendent Wylie. Mr. Wylie is said
to be most sympathetic and to have quickly grasped the issue, and said to
understand that the UK government could break international and UK law with
its nuclear weapons deterrent. The complaint will be forwarded to the
Procurator Fiscal office in Dumbarton. George Farebrother who was part of
lobbying successfully the UN for the World Court opinion, stated that 'it
is important to realize that governments are not above the law. This has
been proved with legal actions against states such as Rwanda and former
Yugoslavia. The international Court of Justice in The Hague can not make
new laws, it merely states what international law is. It's ruling of 8 July
1996 states that the threat or use of nuclear weapons is generally contrary
to existing international humanitarian law'.

Tomorrow, Rachel Wenham and Sylvia Boyes, two imprisoned TP2000
campaigners will appear at 10 a.m. in the Victoria Hall of the Helensbrough
Court. It is not clear yet if the foreign campaigners will appear in court
tomorrow. George Farebrother will be called as an expert witness, while
Robin Boyes, a Minister of the Unitarian Church in Birmingham and Sylvia's
husband will travel to show his support for the disarmers.

The campaigners of TP2000 announced that from today all Trident related
sites across the UK become susceptible to direct disarmament actions.
Nuclear weapons sites abroad will also be targeted, especially in Belgium
(Kleine Brogel) and the Netherlands (Volkel), two US Airforce bases with
tactical B-61 nuclear warheads.

Helen John will now join three UK campaigners and an Australian activist
who have been on remand since last Friday August 21. Two of them, Sylvia
Boyes (56) from Birmingham and Rachel Wenham (25) from Leeds will appear in
Victoria Hall, Dumbarton Court tomorrow at 10 am. Robin Boyes, Sylvia's
husband and a vicar will travel up to Scotland to support his wife as he
supports her for 100%. Helen John, from the Menwith Hill Women's Peace Camp
in Yorkshire arrested at Coulport last night for cutting the fence, stated
just before her arrest : 'I admire the wonderful concept of all TP2000
activits, dedicated to bring an end to the Trident system. I will snip in
the fence of international law against genocidal weapons. It is a great pity
that courts do not yet support us'.
Around 110 activists were arrested over the past two weeks TP2000
international peace camp. The arrested were from Australia, Belgium,
Canada, England, France, Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland, USA and
Wales, amongst others. People from Belarus, Romania, Russia, Sri Lanka and
Ukraine were refused an entry visa when they wanted to join the 1,000 km
peace walk which joined TP2000 on Nagasaki day in Faslane. The peace
walkers had left from NATO hq in Brussels.

The released FME activists might take new disarmament action before leaving
Scotland for their homebase in Belgium and the Netherlands, where a new
Ploughshares campaign is being launched against US B-61 tactical nuclear
weapons. Today starts the new fase of TP2000. All Trident related sites are
now susceptable to direct disarmament actions.

Alex Salmond, the leader of the Scottish National Party, granted his
support for the Trident Ploughshares movement in a letter dated 29 July
1998 (appendix). Also the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and
National CND are stepping up their involvement in this direct disarmament
campaign which wants to force the British government to abide by the July
1996 UN World Court's decision outlawing 'the threat or use of nuclear
weapons'. Dave Knight, CND Chair says: 'The protestors are exposing the
hypocrisy of the UK over war crimes. On the one hand the UK has taken the
lead in setting up the International Criminal Court, but at the same time
it still refuses to accept the International Court of Justice's (ICJ)
Advisory Ruling, which judged weapons of mass destruction like Trident to
be unlawful'.
Rob Green, a former UK Navy Commander, and today Chair of the UK World
Court Project, sent a message of support all the way from New Zealand: 'The
non-violent activists are using direct action to uphold the self-evident
legal case against any use of Trident. This is why I am supporting the
courageous people'. George Farebrother, UK's Secretary of the World Court
Project, stated: 'The wrong people are being arrested. International law,
as clarified by the International Court of Justice, has a great deal to say
about what the military can, and can not do to people in time of war. So
who are the criminals? The activists who are putting their bodies and their
freedom on the line to prevent a criminal cataclysm? Or the high officials
and politicians who devise plans contrary to international law?'.
Ben Oquist, assistant of Australian Senator Bob Brown, already proposes to
table a motion in the Australian Senate demanding the immediate release of
Australian activist Jens Light, and the start of negotiations leading to a
global ban of all nuclear weapons. Anja Light, Jens sister, who is also at
the
Trident Ploughshares camp says:
'Jens is a prisoner of conscience. He has been locked up while attempting,
peacefully and responsibly, to prevent crimes of unimaginable magnitude.'
Australia has been for many years on the
forefront of nuclear disarmament. Former Australian Prime Minister Paul
Keating reported on the 14th of August 1996 the historic report of the
'Canberra Commission on the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons'. With seventeen
leading international figures they agreed that 'nuclear weapons pose an
intolerable threat to all humanity and its habitat'. The Canberra
Commission proposed practical steps towards a nuclear weapons-free world,
and urged the nuclear weapon states to commit themselves, immediately and
unequivocally, to eliminating all nuclear weapons.


Also Corbin Harney, spiritual leader of the Western Shoshone Indians in
Nevada, sent his support to the activists. Britain has detonated for many
years its nuclear bombs on the Treaty land of the Western Shoshone Tribe in
Nevada.

seperate newsflash
Plymouth tug master James Richmond aged 51 (30 years service) has been
sacked
for gross misconduct after abandoning nuclear submarine HMS Torbay in the
River Tamar in January 1998. A final hearing at his unfair dismissal
tribunal
this week under the chairmanship of ex-Royal Navy Officer Anthony Puttick,
ruled that Mr. Richmond had "failed to safeguard the citizens of Plymouth".
Richmond's employers, Serco Denholm Ltd., who recently took over the
commercial running of tug/escort duties said the potential consequences
should
the nuclear submarine have lost steering control "did not bear thinking
about". It was confirmed that two steering failures have occured in the last
two years on n. subs while entering /leaving port. According to a local
press
report (Plymouth Evening Herald 25/8/98) 'If a nuclear sub. ran aground
there
would be a danger that the reactor cooling system would fail and an
explosion
of devastating proportions could follow'.
Richmond said he had worked more than 100 hours in the week leading up to
the
incident and since privatisation of the tug service staffing levels had been
cut from 14 to 6, doubling the workload. On that morning there was no
back-up
relief. He said, "I knew what I had done but I was very, very tired". A
Rail,
Maritime and Transport Union representative said working those hours on
commercial merchant ships would be considered illegal. According to the
tribunal, fatigue was not considered a mitigating factor!

FOR MOTHER EARTH DISARMERS REMANDED AFTER THEIR FOURTH BREACH OF SECURITY
AT BRITISH FASLANE NUCLEAR SUBMARINE NAVAL BASE

Just after 11a.m. this morning three For Mother Earth campaigners, working
full-time in the international office in Gent (Belgium) were remanded in
custody till court appearance September 29th in Helenbrough, near Glasgow).
Katri Silvonen (20) and Hanna Jarvinen (21), Finland, and Krista van Velzen
(23) from the Netherlands broke into the base last night and reached the
fuel depot before being apprehended and arrested at 11.55 p.m. This
morning in court, having been asked if she was aware that she could go to
Scottish women's prison in Cornton Vale, Krista van Velzen replied "Yes, I
understand. But you've got the wrong people." Krista Van Velzen referred to
the historic UN World Court advisory opinion of July 1996 outlawing nuclear
weapons. Although previous attempts at serious dialogue have been
unsuccessful, the campaigners are continuing to follow every avenue, to try
to press the UK government to comply with its international obligations and
to go ahead and disarm the illegal Trident nuclear weapons system.

Earlier this morning Pol D'Huyvetter, press contact of TP2000 and For
Mother Earth spent between ten and fifteen minutes informing the duty
officer and another sailor -who refused to give their names- about the
legal problems with the Trident nuclear submarines. The officers were
aboard board HMS Vigilant (Phone directly 01436-674321 - ask for 'vessel
docked at berth 12'). Earlier the MOD denied the existence of berth 12
after the first succesfull penetration into the heart of Britain's nuclear
weapons system by swimmers Katri Silvonen and Krista van Velzen (see also
today's excellent story and pictures in 'The Guardian').

The three For Mother Earth campaigners will join three other campaigners
currently being held on remand. Angie Zelter (Norfolk - UK) and Helen John
(Yorkshire - UK) are being held at Corntonvale women's prison, Angie facing
trial on September 22, Helen on September 29, both in Helensburgh. Jens
Light, an Australian national from Canberra, is also being held at Greenock
prison, with his trial on September 22, Helensburgh. A further two women,
Sylvia Boyes and Rachel Wenham, are currently having their case heard, each
facing jail sentences.

Today the non-violent direct disarmament campaign will spread to all
Trident related sites in the UK, as well as to other countries with nuclear
weapons. Especially the US B-61 tactical nuclear weapons in Kleine Brogel
both in Belgium and Volkel in the Netherlands are now being targetted.





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