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Aldermaston case: “Guilty of trying to provide a better future for the world”

Aldermaston Blockade Media Office | 19.11.2008 01:40 | Anti-militarism | Oxford

Irene Willis appeared at West Berkshire Magistrates’ Court in Newbury on Friday 7 November 2008 to answer the charge of "wilfully obstructing a highway without lawful authority or excuse" at Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston, Berkshire, England on Monday 27 October, 2008, during the Aldermaston Big Blockade, organised by Trident Ploughshares.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/10/411729.html
 http://blockawe.blogspot.com
 http://www.tridentploughshares.org

Irene (left) with supporters outside court
Irene (left) with supporters outside court


In response to the charge, Irene pleaded: “Guilty of trying to provide a better future for the world”

Here is a summary of Irene's statement to the Court:

“I despair of the future I am leaving for my own three children and those of the whole world. Just one Trident nuclear warhead would cause eight to ten times the devastation of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in August 1945, six months after I was born. I’ve tried every legal method of making my views known, but to no avail. I want a world where arms - of which nuclear weapons are the worst kind - no longer exist.”

To read the rest of this report, see:
 http://blockawe.blogspot.com/2008/11/guilty-of-trying-to-provide-better.html

For reports, pics, press clippings, press releases, links and more from the Aldermaston Big Blockade 2008, visit:
 http://blockawe.blogspot.com

Aldermaston Blockade Media Office
- e-mail: aldermaston_blockade_media_team [at] yahoo.co.uk
- Homepage: http://blockawe.blogspot.com

Comments

Hide the following 5 comments

noble but please pay the fine

19.11.2008 02:44

A very noble cause. But i'm saddened she will refuse to pay the fine.
How many youngsters think it is ok to drive around without licences, tax or insurance. This sets such a bad example to the young of today who seem so badly behaved without this kind of encouragement

sara


@Sara

19.11.2008 10:29

Dear me, I think you're on the wrong website, Sara. If you want to whinge about obeying the law at all costs rather than following strongly held and courageous moral principles then go back to BBC's Have Your Say. There's plenty of lazy reactionary rubbish on there - your ill-considered opinions will fit right in.

Meanwhile all credit to Irene who, unlike Sara, is prepared to stand up against the power of the state for a decent cause.

Jon


Jon dearist

19.11.2008 18:40

My dear Jon
Might I presume you mean that people who don't agree with Irene for not paying the fine are not allowed to comment here? May i ask who put you in charge of the thought-police?

If you wish to live somewhere where people can't have opinions perhaps you should move to North Korea, I heard tell it is lovely at this time of of the year.

Sara


rest of the report

19.11.2008 20:00

The Magistrates accepted Irene's plea and then heard an outline of the facts of the case from the Crown, which were not disputed by the defendant. Shortly before 7am, Irene had blocked the entrance to Tadley gate by “locking on” with a plastic tube on each arm attached to blockaders from Scotland. They lay in the road for over two hours before the police finally cut them free and arrested them. Irene was held inside the Aldermaston base for around 6 hours before eventually being taken to Slough police station. She was finally released at around 7pm, so spent 10 hours in police custody in total.

Irene, who was representing herself, was then allowed to make a fairly lengthy statement to the Court. The Magistrates fined her £80 plus £15 victim surcharge, with no order for costs. Knowing Irene, it is unlikely she will pay as she would see this as facilitating the illegal and immoral activities of the nuclear death factory that is Aldermaston.

Irene’s speaking notes:

I am guilty, as I said, of wanting a world where my children and indeed the children of the whole world can live safe, secure and healthy lives, free to follow their own paths in peace without the threat of violence, of which the ultimate is nuclear weapons.

I’ve tried every legal method to get my voice heard: I’ve stood in Parliamentary and local elections, sat in council meetings as the token Green, co-ordinated meetings, attended demos, leafleted the public; yet nothing ever seems to change.

We are facing a crisis such as this planet has never faced. The world is in chaos. We have the dangers of climate change; resources are running out after we have raped this Earth for so many years; and now the economy is collapsing. Our so-called leaders are blinkered; they can and will not lead us out of this mess.

Meanwhile, at Aldermaston they go on producing these weapons of unspeakable violence. I dread the day, as everything goes pear-shaped with this so-called civilisation of ours, that someone somewhere will actually use these weapons again.

Aldermaston is key to the development of the new Trident – a total waste of money as far as I’m concerned; money which could instead be used to create a new and better world instead of developing weapons of mass destruction. It has come to the point where all I can do to try and end this madness is sit my old body in front of the gates where this evil carries on and try to physically stop it.

So, yes, I plead guilty of having a dream: that of a peaceful world where there are no weapons; where people take responsibility for their actions; and where I no longer have to spend my time protesting and stand before the Court as a “criminal”.

grizzlybear


Re: Jon dearist

20.11.2008 10:29

That would probably be "dearest", but nevermind - a insincere salutation followed up by a helping sarcasm is not going to persuade anyone of the merits of your position. If you were to presume that I think you shouldn't comment here, you'd be wrong. I've not disallowed you and I wouldn't be in a position to even if I wanted to.

The point I put to you was that (a) you're opinion is unlikely to be well-received here i.e. because readers in general will consider you comments reactionary, and (b) Irene should be credited for her bravery because she is standing up to a powerful enemy despite the risks involved in doing so.

The idea that lawless youngsters might bother to pay heed to Irene's defiance is ludicrous, but your position implies that all laws need to be obeyed regardless of the consequences. There is nothing brave in such a view - in fact it is an abrogation of your own moral responsibility. Perhaps you might recall that a group of women about a hundred years ago chose to break the law, and their actions in the end gave women the vote. Would you have cautioned them to pipe down too, do you think?

Jon


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