No Trident! No Trident Replacement

Over 200 people attended a rally held on Broad St, Oxford this afternoon, against Trident replacement. Speakers addressing those gathered included Amanda Crawford (chair, Oxford Youth & Student CND), Rev. David Platt (co-chair Christian CND), Tony Richardson (president Oxford Trades Council), Nigel Day (Oxford CND) and Gawain Little (national CND council). Gawain Little said that, "Now is an historic time at which we must oppose nuclear weapons and campaign against the replacement of the current system when it reaches the end of its lifespan". Tony Richardson addressed the financial costs of Trident, stressing the many better ways in which £1.5 bn a year could be spent: on pensions, on education and on health. Nigel Day spoke about the nuclear warheads which are transported by road past Oxford City. The most recent was 2 weeks ago, travelling north on the A40. Breach of the Peace Samba Band led a rousing end to the rally.

At the rally, more than 300 signatures were added to a national petition against Trident replacement. These will be collected by CND nationally and presented to Downing St early next year.

The rally was co-organised and supported by: OXFORD Y&S CND, OXFORDSHIRE PEACE CAMPAIGN, OXFORD CND, ABINGDON PEACE GROUP, OXFORD PEOPLE & PLANET, KIDLINGTON PEACE CAMPAIGN, PAX CHRISTI, CHRISTIAN CND, CLERGY AGAINST NUCLEAR ARMS, DOMINICANS FOR PEACE & JUSTICE, OXFORD CATHOLIC WORKERS, THE NOUGHTIES,NETWORK OF OXFORD WOMEN FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE (NOW), OXFORD STOP THE WAR COALITION, IQRA INSTITUTE, OXFORD TRADES COUNCIL.

City Councilors from the Labour, Green and Liberal Democrat Parties supported the rally, with the constituency Labour party passing a motion in support.