Nuclear bomb-makers serenaded with revamped Christmas carols in London

Trident Ploughshares Press Release - Saturday, 13 December 2008

TEN anti-nuclear activists from Trident Ploughshares affinity group the Muriel Lesters and supporters serenaded companies involved in nuclear weapons production outside their central London offices yesterday (Friday, 12 December), dressed in white overalls marked “weapons inspector”, festive hats and Christmas costumes. Demanding the suspension of work on the current and next generation of nuclear warheads at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) sites in Berkshire, messages of peace and condemnation were humorously conveyed through the revamped verses of popular festive tunes.

In addition to the group’s usual target, US arms giant and nuclear bomb-maker Lockheed Martin, visits were made to the offices of two other US firms connected to the nuclear weapons industry: Fluor and Jacobs (in Victoria and Marble Arch respectively) [see notes 2 & 3].

In concert with the musical performances, banners and placards were displayed and information leaflets distributed to workers and passers-by. Christmas greetings were hand delivered to company representatives, reaffirming the group’s key demands: that the corporations cease any involvement in nuclear weapons production without delay. As the “alternative carol service” proceeded outside the doors of Manning House (22 Carlisle Place, Victoria) - the London home of Lockheed Martin - one of the group lay down “dead” on the pavement to symbolise the victims of nuclear weapons, including those of Hiroshima, Nagasaki and any future nuclear strikes, bomb test veterans, and victims of leukaemias, lymphomas and cancers caused by exposure to radioactive discharges from AWE Aldermaston and AWE Burghfield in Berkshire, Sellafield in Cumbria, Rolls Royce Raynesway in Derby and other sites. There was some interaction with police outside this first site, and then with building security outside the second, Portland House in Victoria - the home of Fluor - but otherwise the protesters were able to operate undisturbed.

Daniel Viesnik, 34, from northwest London said, “Christmas is a time of year when we would all do well to reflect on what we personally can do to bring about peace in the world in these increasingly troubled times. By ceasing the production and maintenance of nuclear weapons in Britain and worldwide, we may yet retain some hope for the future of the human species and life on planet Earth, despite the formidable challenges of climate change and the global proliferation of nuclear technology under the guise of the false solution of nuclear power.”

Myra Garrett, from east London added, “In these challenging economic times, when even the Ministry of Defence is admitting to such a big deficit that it has to put off paying for two aircraft carriers, people are finally waking up to the reality that wasting tens of billions of pounds on nuclear weapons and submarines is not the way to go. Now is the time to scrap Trident and thereby conserve limited resources for more useful things, like health and social care, education, the environment and affordable housing.”

Angela Broome from east London stated, “As the Government tries to offload its toxic assets, it’s time for Jacobs and Fluor to review whether they really want to buy into the illegal, immoral and undemocratic activities of the Atomic Weapons Establishment, especially during a time of such financial hardship; and whether they want to offer themselves as possible targets for future campaigns.”

ENDS


Notes:

1. Trident Ploughshares is a campaign to disarm the UK Trident nuclear weapons system in a nonviolent, open, peaceful and fully accountable manner.
 http://www.tridentploughshares.org

2. British Trident nuclear warheads are manufactured at AWE Aldermaston in Berkshire on behalf of the Ministry of Defence by AWE ML, a private consortium comprised of US firm Lockheed Martin (22 Carlisle Place, Victoria), British firm Serco and the British Nuclear Group (BNG). BNG’s one-third stake is soon to be sold off to another US firm, either Jacobs Engineering (16 Connaught Place, Marble Arch) or Fluor Corporation (Portland House, Bressenden Place, Victoria ). This means that AWE ML will soon be under two-thirds’ American ownership. Jacobs Engineering is already a major contractor for AWE. In addition, the Trident II D5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles themselves are leased from and maintained by the US , and the guidance systems software and certain critical components of the warheads are also sourced from the US . Hence, it is argued that Britain ’s nuclear weapons system, commonly referred to by the Government as being “independent”, is actually highly dependent on the transatlantic “special relationship”.

3. Since 2005, a multi-billion pound expansion of the warhead manufacturing facilities at AWE Aldermaston - on the scale of Heathrow Terminal 5 according to AWE itself - has been in progress. At the same time, hundreds of scientists and other staff have been recruited, including warhead designers. Campaigners are opposed to the new developments because of the current economic downturn; and, more importantly, on moral, legal, international security and democratic grounds. They argue that the developments breach the UK ’s disarmament obligations under Article VI of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; and that they have a destabilising effect by setting a bad example and encouraging other countries to develop their own nuclear arsenals. Furthermore, it is argued that the developments are undemocratic since there has never been a nationwide public consultation, nor has Parliament ever been consulted on the plans.

4. During UN Disarmament Week in October, 33 people were arrested as several hundred members and supporters of Trident Ploughshares and CND nonviolently blockaded AWE Aldermaston for several hours, managing to cause major disruption to the site.
 http://blockawe.blogspot.com

5. On Easter Monday in March, around 5000 people flocked to AWE Aldermaston to commemorate the 50th anniversary of CND’s first historic peace march to the base from London.

All photos CopyLeft 2008 D. Viesnik. Please credit any reuse. Full-size high resolution versions available upon request.

See all the news and pictures from October's Big Blockade of Aldermaston on our blog:
 http://blockawe.blogspot.com

 http://london.indymedia.org.uk/videos/397